Lamine Yamal’s classy message after Ballon d’Or miss – ‘You have to climb to get to the top’ | OneFootball

Monday night was a memorable one for Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old sensation achieved something that no footballer has ever done – winning the Kopa Trophy for the second time, that too in consecutive years.

There was disappointment in store for the 18-year-old later in the night as he ended up missing out on the Ballon d’Or, as he finished runner-up behind eventual winner – Ousmane Dembele of PSG.

Not one to be disheartened by the loss, the teenage sensation has now broken his silence for the first time since the Ballon d’Or gala, taking to social media to make a post.

The 18-year-old Barcelona gem shared pictures from the gala with his family and friends, and wrote a classy message to go along with while also congratulating Dembele on his triumph.

🔗 Instagram

“God’s plan is perfect, you have to climb to get to the top. Happy for the Kopa trophy x2 and congratulations Ousmane Dembele for the award and the great season,” he wrote.

Lamine enjoyed a brilliant campaign in 2024/25 and would have been a deserving winner of the Golden Orb at the ceremony last night.

However, in the end, it was Dembele who came out on top, with PSG’s UEFA Champions League likely being a weighing factor in the voters’ leaning towards the Frenchman.

Nonetheless, one cannot take away from Lamine’s marvellous achievement – the Kopa double and the Ballon d’Or runner-up finish at the age of only 18.

Currently recovering from a minor injury, the youngster resumed training today after returning from Paris and could return to the Barcelona squad for the weekend game vs Real Sociedad.