Hansi Flick Urges Lamine Yamal to Use Ballon d’Or Setback as Motivation

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is supporting Lamine Yamal after the young winger finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or competition. Flick believes this result will motivate Yamal for the future.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Lamine Yamal, just 18 years old, came in second for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, losing to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé. Despite this, Flick was encouraging, saying, “It will motivate him for the future, and Lamine sees it positively. He will have chances to win the Ballon d’Or, for sure.” Yamal scored 18 goals in 55 games last season and played a key role as Barcelona won LaLiga, the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey. However, the team was knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinals. For his part, Dembélé scored 35 goals in 53 games as PSG won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France, which experts believe made the difference in the voting.

CONVERTING DISAPPOINTMENT INTO IMPULSION

Key figures at Barcelona, including the president and Yamal’s representatives, believe the outcome of the Ballon d’Or will motivate the teenager to push harder. The club is confident that Yamal has a bright future ahead of him. He also made history by becoming the only player to win the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player under 21, twice, a recognition he earned at this year’s ceremony, highlighting his exceptional talent in football. Yamal signed a contract this year that keeps him at Barcelona until June 2031. He remains focused on improving and pursuing more awards and bigger team victories in the years to come.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BARCELONA AND YAMAL

Barcelona are currently second in LaLiga, behind Real Madrid, and are having another strong season. Their next match is a key game against Real Oviedo, who are in the bottom spots of La Liga. Barcelona are also expected to play Real Sociedad, who are in the bottom half but climbing up the standings but always tough opposition. Yamal, a regular starter under Flick, is expected to play a key role in the title race and any upcoming Champions League knockout rounds. All eyes are on him to see how he responds to the disappointment of the Ballon d’Or as he looks to lead Barcelona to more trophies this season.