Despite his meteoric rise, Yamal showed immense maturity when discussing his second-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or. While many felt the youngster deserved the top prize, he admitted that losing out to former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele was actually a blessing in disguise for his personal development.
“To be honest, I really thought I was going to win it that day because of everything going on,” Yamal confessed. “It was actually a great thing for me that Dembele won. Aside from helping me grow, I personally believe it wasn’t my time to win. I was still a kid and wouldn’t have truly appreciated what winning a Ballon d’Or means.”
He added that he remains on great terms with the Frenchman, stating: “I get along great with Dembele… I’ve talked to him, hung out with him, and spent a lot of time with him. I spoke to him just the other day, and he asked how I was doing… He genuinely helped me grow as a person and helped me get back on my feet because I wasn’t in a good place. I believe I’ve matured a lot since then and changed many things in my life. I was really happy for Ousmane. We were together at the Dubai awards; you can see we get along really well, and we talk from time to time. We’ll see if this is my year.”
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