Barcelona coach Hansi Flick says teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will only be driven to greater heights after finishing runner-up to Ousmane Dembélé in the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
The 18-year-old winger, who dazzled throughout Barcelona’s treble-winning campaign last season, was beaten to the top prize by Paris Saint-Germain’s Dembélé at Monday’s ceremony in Paris. However, Yamal collected the Kopa Trophy for best young player in the world for the second successive year, further cementing his reputation as the game’s brightest rising star.
Flick, speaking ahead of Barca’s La Liga trip to Real Oviedo, said Yamal’s response highlighted his maturity. “I spoke with him yesterday, and he sees it the right way. For him, it’s motivation for the next years,” the German coach explained. “Dembele deserved it, but Lamine accepted the result well. Maybe next season he will also be an option for the Ballon d’Or.”
Yamal’s absence will be felt against Oviedo, as he is sidelined with a groin problem. Still, Flick insisted his squad has the depth to cope. “I never think about who is missing. I focus on the players we have, and every starting XI we put out can win matches,” he said.
The Catalans also face a long spell without midfielder Gavi, who underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be out for four to five months. The 21-year-old only recently returned from a serious ligament injury. “We must take care of him step by step,” Flick said. “He plays with a big heart and emotion for this club, and we’ll support him until he’s back at his best.”
Yamal’s Kopa Trophy win placed him ahead of top prospects Désiré Doué, João Neves, Estevão, and Kenan Yildiz, underscoring his consistency on Europe’s biggest stages. Back-to-back triumphs put him in elite company and reaffirm his place as the leading figure of football’s new generation.
