Lamine Yamal is only 18, but you wouldn’t guess it from the way he treats the ball. At that age, most teenagers are stressing over exam timetables or trying to parallel park without taking out a lamppost, not slicing through world-class defences with the composure of a player who’s been doing it for decades.
Normally, a kid in football is still figuring out how to stay on their feet when a veteran centre-back, with triple the experience and a beard you could lose small animals in, comes charging their way.
But the beautiful game has a way of introducing us to the rare few who don’t seem bound by the usual timelines.. A player who makes you feel you’re not just watching another promising youngster, but witnessing the first chapters of something era-defining.
In this era, that player is Lamine Yamal.
The 18-year-old did more than impress. He played with the poise of a seasoned star, the freedom of a street footballer, and the consistency of someone who doesn’t check his highlight reels because he’s too busy making the next one.
For anyone still wondering if the Golden Ball is too soon for him, the season he just had answers that question in 90 minutes, over and over again.
Numbers Speak Volume
Statistics can be deceiving, but when you look closely at Yamal’s, they tell the same story as the eye test.
Let’s start with the raw output. Yamal featured in 53 matches across all competitions and clocked up more than 4,300 minutes for Barcelona. He scored 18 goals and assisted 23 more. That’s 41 direct goal contributions from someone who only recently learned to drive.
His La Liga record alone is the kind of thing many senior pros would frame. 9 goals, 13 assist, and an influence that went far beyond the numbers.
You could see it in the way opponents adjusted entire game plans just to deal with him. You could feel it in the way his teammates trusted him with the ball when it mattered most.
And let’s remember where he did it.
This was Spain’s top tier, where Barcelona was pushed by Real Madrid. No cushioned stroll to the title. No long patches where the stakes were low.
Every point felt earned. That constant pressure tends to expose cracks in young players. With Yamal, there were none to find.
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Big Moments Against the Biggest Rivals
Some players pad their stats when the opposition’s name barely fits on the scoreboard. Yamal isn’t built that way. He thrives when the lights are blinding and the stakes are suffocating.
Real Madrid in the league? He scored in both wins.
Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España? He found the net again. Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final? Two assists and a winner’s medal.
By May, Madrid fans had every right to groan whenever his name appeared on the team sheet.
He didn’t stop there. Goals against Atlético, Athletic Club, and Villarreal kept Barcelona’s title race on track.
In the Champions League, he found the net in each knockout round, including the semi-final against Inter Milan, where he also left a trail of defenders who might still be trying to work out which way he went.
Style That Stays in Your Mind
Numbers tell you what he did. The style tells you why it matters.
It is not just what he does. It is how he does it. Yamal’s dribbling is not frantic or mechanical. It is patient, rhythmic, and often laced with a small act of deception that sends defenders one way while he goes the other.
And when he gets past his man, his head is up, looking for the pass that will break the line.
Many wingers can beat their marker. Few can do it while simultaneously mapping out the next three moves. That vision is why his assist count is so high. The defenders marking him know they are not only stopping a potential scorer but also the most dangerous creator on the pitch.
Yamal plays like someone who still loves the game in its purest form. His playing style is not just functional. It has a rhythm, a hint of mischief, as if he’s letting you in on a secret before he whips the ball away.
One of the season’s most replayed moments came against Benfica in the Champions League. 10 minutes into the match, he left two defenders chasing shadows with a dummy before sliding the ball to Raphinha for the opener.
Later, with almost no angle to work with, he curled a shot into the far corner that looked more like a dare than a decision.
That audacity isn’t recklessness.
It’s confidence backed by the work he puts in when no one’s watching.
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The Dembélé Question
No conversation about the 2025 Ballon d’Or can avoid Ousmane Dembélé.
The Frenchman had an outstanding season with PSG, finishing with 46 goal contributions and a Champions League winner’s medal. His shot conversion rate was almost double Yamal’s.
On the surface, the case looks strong.
But context changes the picture. Yamal played far more minutes. He played in La Liga, where the title race went to the wire. Dembélé played in Ligue 1, where PSG wrapped up the league with 6 matches to spare.
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey run meant beating Betis, Valencia, Atlético, and Madrid. PSG’s Coupe de France path was Le Mans, Stade Briochin, Dunkerque, and relegated Reims.
Then there was their meeting on the international stage. Spain 5, France 4 in the Nations League semi-final. Yamal scored twice.
Dembélé missed several good chances. That was as close to a personal play-off as the Ballon d’Or race is likely to get, and Yamal came out on top.
International Stage Brilliance
Yamal’s work with Spain was smaller in volume but just as significant in quality. 7 games, 3 goals, 1 assist. The brace against France was his finest hour.
In a match dripping with tension, he moved as if immune to the weight of it, finding space, finishing clinically and never looking rushed.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said afterwards, “Today, Lamine made a statement. He proved he’s the best in the world and deserves the Ballon d’Or.”
For once, a post-match quote did not feel like exaggeration.
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A Consistency Rare at Any Age
Even the best young talents often have dips. Yamal didn’t. From August to May, he stayed at the same relentless level. No long barren runs.
No games where he drifted into anonymity. Whether it was a league match in January or a Champions League knockout tie in spring, he played with the same spark.
That’s partly down to Hansi Flick.
The Barcelona manager built a system that gave Yamal the space to shine while still demanding defensive work and discipline.
Flick has spoken about the “special moments” Yamal brought to the team, but also about his maturity and his influence on the dressing room. That sort of praise from a seasoned coach isn’t given lightly.
The Humility Behind the Headlines
For all the talk about the Ballon d’Or, Yamal himself brushes it aside. He’s said more than once that chasing individual awards can take you off course.
His focus is on winning trophies with his team, enjoying the game, and improving every day. It’s the kind of attitude that not only makes you like him more, but also makes you think he’s going to keep getting better.
It’s rare to find a player who combines raw numbers, big-game moments, artistry on the ball, and humility off it. Rarer still when that player is 18. This isn’t about rewarding potential. It’s about recognising what he’s already delivered.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or should go to Lamine Yamal. Not because he might be the future, but because right now, in the present, he has been as good as anyone in the world. And if this is just the beginning, football is in for something special.
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A Place Among the Greats at His Age
Looking back, Lionel Messi at 18was dazzling but not yet carrying Barcelona every week.
Cristiano Ronaldo at 18 was raw, all tricks and promise.
Kylian Mbappé at eighteen was already a World Cup winner but had not put together this kind of club season.
Yamal has combined the numbers of an elite forward with the consistency of a senior leader, all while still at an age where most players are learning their trade.
The Case for the Ballon d’Or
This award is meant for the best player over the course of a season. Not the one with the brightest future, not the one with the largest marketing footprint.
The one who has been, over the months, the finest in the world.
By that measure, Yamal’s case is complete. More minutes in bigger matches than his rivals. A higher level of consistency. Head-to-head success against the closest competitor. Impact for both club and country. And the rare combination of artistry and productivity that makes football worth watching.
Give him the Ballon d’Or. Not because it will look good in the history books, but because right now, he has earned it more than anyone else.
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