Lamine Yamal Strikes Back at Ousmane Dembele Following Shocking Ballon d'Or Snub

While Lamine Yamal fell short against Ousmane Dembélé in the hotly contested Ballon d'Or competition this year, the Barcelona winger earned something potentially more meaningful: the respect of fellow professionals.

In contrast to the Ballon d'Or, where 100 journalists from FIFA's top-ranked nations cast their votes, FIFPRO's World XI relies solely on players' perspectives to identify the world's finest talent.

Over 20,000 professional players participated in voting for the standout stars of the 2024–25 season, and predictably, both Yamal and Dembélé secured spots in the final selection.

Nevertheless, FIFPRO has disclosed the complete voting breakdown, revealing that 50% of participants included Yamal in their World XI, exceeding the percentage that Dembélé achieved (45%).

Many might interpret this as justification. Following the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, Yamal's father characterized his son's runner-up position as clear "moral damage."

"I believe Lamine Yamal stands as the world's finest player by an enormous distance. Not simply because he's my child, but because he truly is the planet's best player. I see no competition."

Global football journalists hold a different perspective than Mounir Nasraoui. Among the 100 Ballon d'Or ballots this year, Dembélé claimed the top spot 73 times. Yamal, in contrast, secured just 11 first-place selections.

The significance of France Football's annual honor remains undeniable. As Yamal confessed before the Paris ceremony, "I shared with my friends that I don't aspire to win one Ballon d'Or, I aspire to win multiple."

However, fellow players' opinions clearly hold influence within Barcelona's locker room. Yamal's teammate Raphinha launched a social media campaign after learning he missed Monday's World XI announcement. The current La Liga Player of the Year—whose offensive numbers last season overshadowed Yamal's, with 56 goal contributions versus the youngster's 39—shared multiple images displaying his previous season's accolades.