Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal came in second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting. Many believed the teenager’s dazzling performances en route to winning a domestic treble would be enough to make him the youngest Ballon d’Or winner in history. The upset wasn’t to be, instead, the winner is a former Barcelona player.

Germain, won his first Ballon d’Or during Monday’s ceremony, having beaten out Lamine Yamal for the prestigious award. He cited his

Dembele won his first award, while Bonmati became the first woman, and third player ever to win three straight Ballon d'Or awards

Barcelona’s Bonmati claims the women’s prize for the third year in a row by edging out Arsenal’s Caldentey Read more at The Business Times.

Beyond the official rankings, it was Yamal’s humility and sportsmanship that stole the headlines, while his father’s words after the event carried a different kind of weight.

The Frenchman was named the top men's soccer player of 2025 after leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League title, while it was a women's repeat for the Spanish midfielder.

Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi congratulated their former club teammate Ousmane Dembélé after he won the Ballon d'Or award on Monday.

PSG and Barcelona are set to clash on October 1 in the UEFA Champions League league phase, carrying strong starts in the competition into the match. The reigning Champions League winners opened their campaign with a dominant 4-0 victory over Atalanta, scoring twice in each half despite missing Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé.

Hansi Flick admitted Ousmane Dembele "deserved" the Ballon d'Or after the Paris Saint-Germain forward's spectacular season, while insisting Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal has taken finishing second in his stride.