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Lamine Yamal misses Ronaldo's record; Barca prodigy misses out on history
Lamine Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or at just 18 years. He continues to chase the record for the youngest winner.
Lamine Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or 2025 voting. At just 18 years, 2 months, and 9 days old, he missed out on football’s most prestigious individual honour by the narrowest of margins. While Ousmane Dembélé claimed the honor following PSG’s historic Champions League triumph, Yamal achieved something equally remarkable. He became the youngest player ever to reach the Ballon d’Or podium.
Yamal’s near miss of history
Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário remained the youngest Ballon d’Or winner, capturing the award in 1997 at 21 years, 3 months, and 5 days old. Had Yamal won on Monday night, he would have obliterated this 28-year-old record by an extraordinary margin of approximately three years and one month, or 1,120 days younger than the Brazilian’s achievement.
Rank | Player | Age When Won | Year |
| 1st | Ronaldo Nazário | 21y 3m 5d | 1997 |
| 2nd | Michael Owen | 22y 0m 4d | 2001 |
| 3rd | Lionel Messi | 22y 5m 7d | 2009 |
A different kind of history by Yamal
Though the top prize eluded him, Yamal’s second-place finish rewrote the record books. He also claimed the Kopa Trophy for the second consecutive year and raised the bar, becoming the youngest player to finish in the top three of the Ballon d’Or award. Previous youngest finishers included Ronaldo (runner-up in 1996 at 20) and Lionel Messi (third in 2007 at 20).
The opportunity remains for Yamal
Yamal’s pursuit for the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner is far from over. The mathematics are remarkably favorable for him; he has three more cycles to break Nazário's record. At the 2026 ceremony, Yamal will be around 19 years old, even by 2028, he would be 21, and if it happens in September, he would still be one month younger than Ronaldo’s winning age.
The season that sparked dreams
Yama’s candidacy stemmed from a sensational 2024-25 campaign where he was integral to Barcelona’s domestic treble. He came up with 20 goals and 23 assists across all competitions, a feat unimaginable for an 18-year-old.
Lamine Yamal’s emergence represents a seismic shift in football’s timeline. Born on July 13, 2007, he belongs to a generation that has compressed traditional development curves, reaching elite performance levels at ages once considered impossible. His second-place finish signals a changing of the guard, pointing towards a new era where teenage superstars can compete immediately for the highest honors.
The road ahead
Yamal’s trajectory suggests his Ballon d’Or moment might only be a question of when, not if. The conglomeration of technical brilliance, tactical maturity, and clutch performances positions him as the most likely candidate to eventually break the record held by Ronaldo.
For now, the Brazilian’s record stands, but football has been put on notice. History’s youngest Ballon d’Or winner may soon have its name changed. The stage is set for one of football’s most compelling individual pursuits.
