In a remarkable turn of events, 17-year-old Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has shot to the top of the 2025 Ballon d’Or odds, with a 40% chance of winning football’s most prestigious individual prize, according to the most recent odds.
Lamine Yamal surpassed PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé, who is very closely behind with a 38% chance, in a race that shows a new wave of talent taking over all parts of the sport, as reported by beIN Sports.
Yamal’s rise to the top is a direct result of his exciting form in LaLiga and the Champions League.
He finished with 8 goals and 15 assists in LaLiga and also had 8 goal involvements in the Champions League.
One of his defining moments includes a stunning solo goal against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals.
After learning that Yamal would be eligible to play in the game, Inter’s Simone Inzaghi labelled Yamal a “once-in-a-half-century talent.”
Yamal’s agent Jorge Mendes has stated much more emphatically, saying: “Lamine deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He has been the best player in the world this season.”
Dembélé, energized with a fresh start at PSG, remains in contention, scoring 26 goals and playing vital Champions League matches (also scoring on the semi-final leg against Arsenal).
Other names in the Top 10 include Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Barcelona’s Raphinha, Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Barcelona’s Pedri, and Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid.
Dembélé’s and Barcelona’s exit from the Champions League means Yamal stands out above the rest due to his individual excellence at such a young age and his story as a teenage pathfinder.
If Yamal wins this, he will be the youngest winner of the Ballon d’Or surpassing Ronaldo Nazario. In October 2025, there will be another icon crowned.
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