French legend Jean-Pierre Papin has made his choice clear ahead of football’s biggest individual prize.
The former Ballon d’Or winner believes Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal deserves to lift the award this year.
In an interview with Erem News, Papin declared: “Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year.”
The ceremony will take place on September 27 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Yamal, just 18 years old, is being spoken of as the clear favorite thanks to his dazzling 2024/25 campaign. Papin’s words carry weight, as he claimed the trophy himself in 1991 and knows what it takes to rise above the rest.
By backing Yamal, Papin overlooked stars such as Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi. He insisted the young forward’s brilliance has outshone them all, saying: “No, for me, Yamal was the best and had an exceptional season.”
If he succeeds, Yamal will join Luis Suárez in 1960 and Rodrigues in 2024 as the only Spaniards to have ever lifted the golden ball.
