Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraou, slammed the Ballon d’Or after his son came second in the prestigious award. Nasraou believes his son missing out on the Ballon d’Or is the biggest morale damage done to a human.

Yamal had come up with consistent performances in the 2024-25 season for both club and country, and he is definitely one of the favorites for the prestigious award.

The young Spaniard is currently one of the best players in the world and has hogged the limelight for his impressive game.

Yamal scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists in 55 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions in the previous season. The 18-year-old played a key role in helping the Catalan club win the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España.

“I think this is the biggest, I won’t say theft, but moral damage done to a human being because I believe Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world by far, by a huge margin,” Nasraou, who attended Monday’s Ballon d’Or gala in Paris, told El Chiringuito TV after the event.

“It’s not because he’s my son but because he’s the best player in the world. I believe there are no rivals. Lamine is Lamine Yamal. Something very strange has happened here. Next year there will be a Spanish Ballon d’Or winner.”

Meanwhile, Barcelona president Jaon Laporta said winning the Champions League had more weightage in the Ballon d’Or race.

“I think winning the Champions League has had its weight,” Laporta said.

“We were hopeful. We had Raphinha, Lamine and Pedri nominated. In the end, Lamine and Dembélé were finalists. I’m sure he [Yamal] will achieve it. Time will tell but he’s got great quality.

“I’m convinced this [finishing second] will only motivate Lamine more. He is a a winner. He has a healthy ambition.”