Laporta believes Lamine Yamal will win the Ballon d’Or one day

“I am convinced Lamine will eventually win the Ballon d’Or,” Joan Laporta said. Following Monday’s ceremony in London, the FC Barcelona president expressed confidence in Lamine Yamal’s future after the forward finished third in the men’s standings. “He deserves it, but I don’t know when,” Laporta added of the award.

Laporta also sought to frame the voting result as a source of encouragement rather than a setback. He believes Yamal had done enough to win, while accepting the voters’ decision “with sportsmanship”. The president said he hoped the outcome would motivate the player and noted that his teammates would help him get over the disappointment quickly.

The club president urged people to support the forward: “Show him affection, because he deserves it.” He also highlighted Yamal’s path, saying the player has achieved something exceptional since the age of 16. Laporta said he hoped those around Yamal would help him approach next year’s attempt to win the award with even greater motivation.

Yamal was also recognised as the world’s best young player for the third consecutive season. It was a particularly successful evening for FC Barcelona’s women’s football, too: the club was named team of the year, Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or, Cata Coll received the best goalkeeper award and Vicky López was recognised as best young player. Laporta said he was proud to belong to Barça and grateful for the recognition.

The president also addressed Barça’s defeat to Real Madrid. He called for the result to be accepted with sportsmanship and used as motivation to move forward, adding that the season’s objectives remained intact. Laporta said the team should learn from its mistakes and insisted that he remained proud of his players and coach. His message to supporters was that they could remain calm.