Lamine Yamal’s Father Issues Strong Claim After PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé Wins Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

PSG standout Ousmane Dembélé has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or over Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal. Dembélé emerged as the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or following a remarkable 2024–25 season with PSG.

The French winger was pivotal in the club’s historic treble, helping secure the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France.

Dembélé’s stats speak volumes: 35 goals and 16 assists across 53 appearances. More crucially, he delivered when it mattered most, cementing his claim as the leading candidate for football’s most prestigious individual award.

During his acceptance speech, the PSG standout wanted to focus on the club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who played a major role in his life after arriving from Barcelona.

“I wanted to thank PSG, who came to get me in 2023,” Dembélé said while accepting the award. “The president, the whole club. It’s a family. […] The president has been exceptional with me! He’s like a dad to me! Just like Luis Enrique! He has been a very important person!”

Lamine Yamal’s Dad Makes Bold Claim

(Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

The main competition for Dembélé this year was Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Last season, he played a pivotal role for the Spanish side, racking up 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 matches, and helping the team secure titles in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España, establishing himself as a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or.

Despite his son not winning the award, Yamal’s father had a brief message to the media.

“Next year is ours,” he said (h/t El Partidazo de COPE).

The Ballon d’Or for 2026 will factor not only what players do at the club level, but it’s a World Cup year too. If Yamal helps lead Spain to win that trophy, he’s the odds-on favorite to win it next year.