Later this year, France Football will hand out the 2025 Ballon d’Or award, which could very well be won by a Barcelona player. Pedri and Raphinha are in contention, but the general consensus is that Lamine Yamal is one of the two leading candidates – alongside former teammate Ousmane Dembele.
Lamine Yamal is one of four Barcelona players nominated for the award (alongside Pedri, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski). There is a general feeling that he is the club’s best chance to claim their first winner since Lionel Messi in 2021, and a former player of the Catalans also feels this way.
As per MD, ex-Barcelona forward Gerard Deulofeu has waxed lyrical about Lamine Yamal, whom he believes has been the best player in world football over the last 12 months.
“It’s not about who I want to win, but honestly, being a football player, watching football and watching a lot of Barcelona games and European matches, there is no doubt for me that the best football creator is Lamine Yamal. He may be young, he may be whatever people want, someone else may have won more titles, but if you watch the games, the greatest creator of football is Lamine Yamal – and for me there is no doubt that he has been the best this year.
“I, personally, like him a lot. He is a player with a lot of room for improvement. Hopefully he can also start playing in positions on the field, further back. But he is a player who creates. And for me, the players who create in football motivate me to watch a game. Honestly, I am delighted to see him at Barcelona, where I was also in the academy. So I’m happy to see a player like him who can help both the Spanish national team and Barcelona.”
It will be interesting to see whether Lamine Yamal is successful, although the feeling is that Dembele is favourite – for now.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fimago1064465609-1-1-6884f3fa20c18553281051.jpg?w=75&resize=75,75&ssl=1 "Reds reach ‘here we go’ stage for defender amid Konate links")
