The 2025 Ballon d'Or has been decided but reactions following the announcement of Ousmane Dembélé as the winner has continued to remain. The latest feedback is from Spanish La Liga president.

La Liga president Javier Tebas stated that he is convinced that Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal lost out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or because of his age.

18-year-old Yamal went toe to toe with treble winner Ousmane Dembélé but ultimately finished runners-up behind the Frenchman.

However, Javier Tebas remains of the opinion that had Lamine Yamal been older he would have pipped PSG superstar Ousmane Dembélé to the coveted award for the best player in the world.

According to Tebas, Yamal only got compensated with the young player award but he would have stood a chance to clinch the big prize if he were older.

He said: "If he had been older than 23, he would have won it, too, I'm sure, but since he was younger, they gave him the other one [Kopa trophy]."

Before turning 18, Lamine Yamal won the Spanish La Liga, the European Championship with Spain and came close to playing in the UEFA Champions League final but Barcelona narrowly lost out to Inter Milan in a tense semi-final.

La Liga president Tebas believes that Lamine Yamal just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and that he will one day lift the Ballon d'Or trophy.

"If he continues at the level he's at, which seems likely, I think there's no doubt he'll win the Ballon d'Or," he said.

Meanwhile, Barcelona president Joan Laporta decided to tow a different line, stressing that winning the UEFA Champions League was the deciding factor that gave Ousmane Dembélé the edge in the Ballon d'Or conversation. 

It was not all doom and gloom for Lamine Yamal at the Ballon d’Or ceremony as he scooped the Kopa trophy for the second year in a row. The Barcelona teenager who won a domestic treble last season beat PSG’ Desire Doue to the best young player award.