The Ballon d'Or Controversy
Recently during my regular idle scrolls on X, I came across a rather interesting post claiming that Lamine Yamal ought to have won the Ballon d'Or. To say I was flabbergasted would be an understatement to be honest. Well, being that it was posted by a Culó just shows you how deluded this fanbase can be. (I am a madridista by the way, I won't apologise for my bias). That was meant playfully guys, don't crucify me. But to be honest — "eh Ousmane Ballon d'or" deserved to be crowned world player of the year, something almost all of the football world would agree on. Come on, the guy won almost every silverware in that calendar year.
But my article today challenges the notion that the La Masia Kid deserved a top three finish, let alone winning the coveted prize. I honestly think "O rei", Dias Belloli, deserved to be a serious contender, if not the outright winner, of the Ballon d'Or. I know that this will open a can of worms, but I'll say it plainly — the Blaugrana board habitually prioritizes La Masia products, often at the expense of other exceptional talents in the team. The irony is hard to miss to be honest.
Yamal vs. Raphinha: The Numbers Don't Lie
In a modern football landscape that increasingly judges players by rather meaningless statistics, Raphinha was miles ahead of Lamine Yamal during the 2024/2025 season. Raphinha had 59 goals and assists, compared to Yamal's 43. I know some may argue that he won the Euro at just 16 years, which is quite an achievement to be fair, but come on — winning a major international honour is not and has never been a prerequisite for winning the Ballon d'Or.
We have exceptional players such as the great Liberian, George Weah who won it without any international trophy, Michael Owen, Pavel Nedvěd among others. It may be overlooked, but Raphinha had a better goals and assist output than Dembélé himself, meaning he should have been right there in the conversation.
The La Masia Agenda
To speak my mind, I think it is just a La Masia agenda, and maybe the influence that they wield in the footballing world. I am not even going to mention how King Lewa was robbed in 2021 in favour of a certain La Masia player, whose name I probably shouldn't even mention… Andrés Lionel Cuccittini. Oops, did that slip out?
Hate me if you must, but I genuinely think Raphinha should have been the obvious winner. I'm not disputing Dembélé's victory, but there's no way anyone could convince me that Lamine deserved it more than Raphinha.
No vendetta here — Lamine is on a fast track to become an all-timer, I'll give him that. But let's be real: Raphinha should have taken it. Dembélé winning? Fine. But anyone trying to tell me Lamine deserved it more than Raphinha? Not happening.