Lamine Yamal’s father disheartened over Ballon d’Or loss – ‘Something very strange happened here’ | OneFootball

Mounir Nasraoui, the father of Lamine Yamal, could not believe that the Barcelona wonderkid had not been named the winner of the Ballon d’Or on Monday.

Ousmane Dembele claimed the trophy ahead of Lamine, who finished in second place. The suspense lasted until the very last moment of the gala, when Ronaldinho opened the envelope containing the name of the PSG forward.

Although Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for best young player of the year, he, his family, and Barcelona fans had also hoped to see him crowned with the Ballon d’Or.

They were left disappointed, although Lamine maintained his composure and posed with his award alongside the other winners.

Harsh words from Nasraoui

Lamine’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, though, was disheartened and vented his anger in a video call with El Chiringuito.

“It’s the biggest, I won’t say robbery, but it is moral damage to a human being,” he said.

“Lamine Yamal is by far the best player in the world, and I’m not saying that because he’s my son. There are no rivals. Lamine is Lamine Yamal. Something very strange has happened here.”

While Nasraoui’s remarks were words spoken in the heat of the moment at the end of the ceremony, Lamine’s father later stated with conviction: “Next year the Ballon d’Or will be Spanish.”

Finishing second in the Ballon d’Or, at only 18 years old, is something remarkable that Lamine has achieved, only a few seasons into his career at the highest level. On top of that, he also became the first-ever footballer to win the Kopa Trophy back-to-back.

The sky is the limit for Lamine.