Ballon d’Or 2025: Yamal Hype rekindles credibility questions as Real Madrid boycott continues

By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna

The Ballon d’Or has always carried an aura of glamour, controversy, and fierce debate. Since its inception in 1956, when Stanley Matthews of Blackpool lifted the maiden edition, the golden ball has never been short of drama.

Over the years, it has crowned icons such as Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight awards, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the closest rival with five. Yet, in recent times, the credibility of the prize has been questioned, even by Ronaldo himself, who once dismissed the process as being influenced by politics and media narratives rather than sheer performance.

This year’s ceremony in Paris did little to silence critics. For the second year running, football club giant Real Madrid stayed away, citing lack of transparency and perceived bias against their players. Their absence added another layer to the long-running debate over the integrity of the award.

But the biggest talking point of the night was the crowning of Ousmane Dembele. The Paris Saint-Germain forward enjoyed a career-defining season, guiding his club to Champions League glory and emerging both the French Ligue 1 Best Player and Top Scorer. His decisive role in PSG’s historic treble made his Ballon d’Or triumph widely accepted across football circles.

Yet, controversy brewed elsewhere. Barcelona’s teenage sensation, Lamine Yamal, entered the Ballon d’Or conversation and even finished ahead of several established stars. His presence in the top three has divided opinions, exposing what many now describe as the “overhyping syndrome” in football.

Yamal’s family and a section of Barcelona fans insisted he deserved the prize, with his father declaring after the ceremony that “no better player exists than my son.”

But beyond the Blaugrana faithful, many voices have dismissed such claims. Critics argue that if the award were strictly based on merit, Yamal had no business being in the top ranks when Barcelona’s Brazilian forward, Raphinha, clearly had a more outstanding season.

The statistics speak for themselves. Dembele was the UEFA Champions League Best Player, Ligue 1’s Best Player, and Top Scorer, while Raphinha emerged La Liga’s Best Player and Champions League Top Scorer.

Across Europe, Mohamed Salah claimed both Best Player and Top Scorer in the English Premier League, while Kylian Mbappe finished as La Liga’s top scorer. Rennes’ Désiré Doué also walked home with the UEFA Young Player of the Year award.

With such numbers, many fans are asking: how did Lamine Yamal leapfrog Raphinha into Ballon d’Or contention if not for hype? His second-place finish ahead of players with more decorated seasons has reinforced doubts about the fairness of the voting system.

The Ballon d’Or remains football’s most glamorous individual prize, but the 2025 edition may be remembered less for Dembele’s triumph and more for the storm it stirred. For a tournament that once defined careers, the nagging perception that popularity and narratives outweigh actual performances may yet prove its biggest undoing.