Tonight’s Ballon d’Or could break records, not for the likes of Messi and Ronaldo’s hegemony over the award, but for a youngster. A teenager from Barcelona has a chance to break Ronaldo Nazário’s existing record.
Twenty years ago, Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário lifted the Ballon d’Or at the age of 21 years and three months old. Before moving to Inter Milan, the striker bagged 47 goals in just 49 games for Barcelona during the 1996-97 season. Barcelona also won the Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups, and the Spanish Super Cup while Ronaldo dazzled in Brazil’s victorious Copa America triumph in 1997.
But now, Yamal has a chance to shatter Ronaldo’s record.
Lamine Yamal’s 2024–25 campaign was extraordinary: more than 40 goal contributions across competitions, decisive strikes in El Clásico, and a starring role in Barcelona’s domestic double. The teenager also won Euro 2024 with Spain, picking up awards for his performances along the way. The question hanging over this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony is whether Yamal’s body of work is enough to eclipse not just his peers, but also the weight of history.
No surprise, the 18-year-old is already a tabloid turner off the pitch with excursions to Neymar’s house and tallying up new girlfriends. The lifestyle intrigue will only grow more intense.
The benchmarks he must surpass
The Ballon d’Or has occasionally been awarded to young talents, but never to someone still in their teens. Ronaldo’s record at 21 years old remains the mark to beat. Michael Owen was just days past 22 when he won in 2001, having carried Liverpool to a historic treble. Lionel Messi was 22 and five months in 2009, the year he propelled Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to a sextuple.
George Best was 22 when Manchester United lifted the European Cup in 1968, his dazzling dribbles defining an era. And in 1975, Oleg Blokhin became the youngest winner from Eastern Europe at 23, his goals powering Dynamo Kyiv’s rise on the continental stage. Cristiano Ronaldo also won his first at 23.
What unites these names is not only their age but the decisiveness of their seasons. Both Ronaldos scored nearly every week. Owen produced late winners in cup finals. Messi made himself unavoidable in three separate finals. Best and Blokhin turned continental campaigns into personal showcases.
To join or surpass this list, Yamal must be seen as the heartbeat of Barcelona and Spain in the biggest matches.
Barcelona’s domestic sweep, combined with his Euro 2024 medal, buttresses his case. He has also passed the “eye test” with flying colors: curling winners in tight games, dribbles that shift momentum, and the ability to dictate play in the final third. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi summed up the consensus after Yamal scored against his side in the Champions League semi-final, calling him “a phenomenon born every 50 years.”
Challenges remain. Ousmane Dembélé’s brilliant individual campaign ended with sealing the Champions League title for PSG. The ever-consistent Mo Salah also enjoyed another stellar season with the EPL champions. Jude Bellingham could be bandied about as well.
Ballon d’Or voters are guided by individual performance, decisive moments, trophies, and fair play, but reputation and narrative inevitably play a role. For Yamal, youth is both his strongest storyline and his biggest obstacle.
A win in 2025 would make Yamal the youngest Ballon d’Or winner by three-plus years. If not this year, the record seems destined to fall to him soon.
