The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris wrapped up with Ousmane Dembele lifting the prestigious trophy, but the outcome has stirred up debate.
Lamine Yamal, who finished second after an outstanding season with Barcelona, received strong support from his father, Mounir Nasraoui, who publicly questioned the result.
In an interview with Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, Nasraoui suggested that “something very strange” happened for his son not to win the award. “I wouldn’t call it a robbery, but it feels like a moral injustice. For me, Lamine is by far the best player in the world, without rival,” he said.
France Football responds
On the other hand, France Football’s editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia stated that Dembele’s victory was not a close one. He mentioned that the PSG star won the Ballon d’Or “quite comfortably,” with voting from around the world heavily favoring him. The detailed breakdown of votes will be published later this week.
Dembele’s emotional reaction
Dembele, who played a crucial role in PSG’s historic Champions League win, was visibly emotional when he received the award from Brazilian legend Ronaldinho. Holding back tears, the French forward thanked his family, teammates, and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi for their constant support.
“This is not just an individual trophy; it belongs to the whole team,” Dembele said in his acceptance speech. “We won almost everything together, and I couldn’t have done this without them.”
A rivalry to watch
Despite the controversy, both Dembele and Yamal have established themselves as the brightest stars of European football. With Yamal just 18 years old, many expect him to be a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or in the near future, promising that this rivalry is far from over.
