Barcelona and Poland talisman Robert Lewandowski has raised an important question when he was quizzed over whether Lamine Yamal – one of the best teenagers in football history – could win the 2025 Ballon d’Or amid competition from Ousmane Dembele and his teammate Raphinha.
Ever since graduating from La Masia, Yamal has quickly become a household name. Not only is he at the top of his game domestically, but he thrives on the European stage – and his Champions League exploits have begged the question: is he, at the time of writing, the best in the world?
In 2024/25 alone, across 55 outings, Yamal notched 18 goals and a further 25 assists as Hansi Flick's Barcelona enjoyed plenty of success: they won the Spanish top flight, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España and, as you guessed, the Spanish technician was the heart of it.
Lewandowski On Yamal’s 2025 Ballon d’Or Chances
‘There are other things that are very important about the Ballon d'Or’
That, naturally, puts him in the conversation to win at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, held at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris, and Lewandowski – who is 19 years the Spaniard’s senior – has insisted that it could be dependent on the certain rules that the co-organisers, UEFA and Groupe Amaury, have in place.
Speaking exclusively to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, 36-year-old Lewandowski – widely regarded as one of the greatest number 9s in football history – claimed that his teenage clubmate has the perfect blend of technical ability and mental toughness. He said:
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“Yes, I think Lamine has great talent, and mentally, I think he's already 23 or 24 years old. I think he's played at a very high level in the last three months,” the goal-getter said of his chances. “If you have a player like Lamine, who can do a lot with the ball, the team also becomes very dangerous offensively."
“I think if Lamine has the desire to work, not just for one or two years, but for five, six, or seven years, he can play at a top level for many years and win many titles.”
On whether Yamal could break another record and become the youngest-ever recipient of football’s most prestigious prize, the marksman believes the teen sensation ‘has a chance’ but admitted that the ever-changing rules could dent his chances.
“He has a chance, of course, but there are other things that are very important about the Ballon d'Or. It depends on the rules they have this year. Every year, you have different rules. It depends on who they want and what the rules are this season.”
Lewandowski was embroiled in some Ballon d’Or controversy back in the back-to-back years of 2020 and 2021 – and it seems that he, now plying his trade for La Liga giants Barcelona, hasn’t forgotten that his individual repertoire should be more bloated.
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The Poland international believes he owed one. “Yes, but for it would be nice if a Barcelona player won the Ballon d’Or, but in the end you’re not sure what the important rules are this season,” he said while referencing his season when he led Bayern Munich to a treble with a remarkable goalscoring record.