AFCON 2025
In a recent interview on El Partidazo on COPE radio, Barcelona’s rising star, Lamine Yamal offered a composed and mature take on the pressure of individual accolades, particularly the coveted Ballon d’Or.
“I’ll keep to myself who I think is the best player of the year. I don’t think about the trophy or whether I’ll win it. It’ll go bad if I start thinking I need to win the Ballon d’Or. I focus on playing, on winning, and if it’s meant to happen, it will.
If next year I win the Champions League and the World Cup, then maybe it will come. The key is to enjoy it and let things happen naturally,” he said.
The 16-year-old also challenged the prevailing approach to award voting, which often prioritizes team accomplishments over individual excellence.
“The award is for the best player of the year. I want us to win on Thursday, but win or lose, I’d vote for the best of the year. Because if something happens to me or to Dembélé that day, who do you vote for then? Someone who plays the final on Sunday? I vote based on the full year,” he added.
Following Barcelona’s elimination in the UEFA Champions League semifinals by Inter Milan, who were subsequently defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the final, Yamal shared his picks for the season’s top performers.
He named PSG manager Luis Enrique as the best coach, Gianluigi Donnarumma as the standout goalkeeper, Willian Pacho as the best defender, and selected his Barcelona teammate Pedri and Vitinha as the top midfielder and forward, respectively.
