Deco Names Lamine Yamal as a Favorite for the Ballon D’or
The sports director of Barcelona assured that Lamine Yamal is the top favorite to win the Ballon d'Or
The sporting director of Barcelona, Deco, was emphatic in pointing out Lamine Yamal as the top candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or. "I think [Lamine is the favorite], without a doubt. Not only for what he did with Barcelona, but also because he won a World Cup with Spain as an important player," he expressed in a conversation with RAC1. For the former midfielder, the outcome should be almost automatic; Yamal has the sports merits and statistics that place him at the top of world football.
A year of titles and records
The young 19-year-old forward had already been the runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in the previous edition, narrowly losing to Ousmane Dembélé. This season he shone again, being key in the conquest of LaLiga with Barça and in Spain's world title. Additionally, he became the first teenager to play in both a Euro Cup and World Cup final, after winning Euro 2024 with La Roja. His numbers are impressive; he led dribbles in the five major European leagues with 133 and has accumulated 29 direct goal participations (20 goals and 9 assists). He also leads in chance creation in the current campaign, with 22 chances generated.
Criticism of absences
Deco did not limit himself to praising Yamal; he also questioned the lack of recognition toward other players on the Barça team. "For me, it's a huge scandal. I don't understand these lists. Seeing that Pedri is not there, with the talent he has... I don't understand it," he declared, referring to the absence of the midfielder and Raphinha among the nominees. For the executive, the omission undermines the credibility of the candidate selection.
