Barcelona camp growing optimistic about Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or chances – report | OneFootball

The official announcement of the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner is set to take place in a few hours at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

But as the moment draws closer, optimism is rising within the Barcelona delegation and around Lamine Yamal that the young forward could upset the odds and take the award from Ousmane Dembele, reports Mundo Deportivo.

In the days leading up to the gala, the general feeling among all parties, both within the Catalan club and in the player’s circle, was that Lamine would finish in the top three, but that the trophy would stay in Paris with Dembele.

At the same time, they did not speak with certainty, pointing to the complete secrecy maintained by UEFA and France Football, organisers of the gala.

Lamine Yamal could become the youngest Ballon d’Or winner. (Photo by Paul Miller/Getty Images)

However, in recent hours, the signals being received are positive and suggest that Lamine could achieve a double.

The Barça No. 10 is also the favourite for the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, but he is gaining momentum to also claim the main prize.

One potentially significant detail: Lamine’s family had originally been assigned a particular seating position in the theatre, but they were later moved several rows closer to the front. It remains to be seen whether this is indeed a clue.

The secrecy from the organisers has been absolute, and within the PSG delegation, nerves are also rising.

On the other side, those close to Dembele are trying to gather any details that might bring them closer to the final verdict, but so far, nothing has been confirmed.