Skip to Content
Categories:

LAMINE YAMAL: BALLON D’OR WINNER?

Is the 17 year old wonderkid truly the best player in the world right now?
LAMINE YAMAL: BALLON D'OR WINNER?

SPORTS CORNER WEEK OF 5/18 – 5/24

Lamine Yamal was born July 13, 2007, marking him only 17 years old at the time of writing. Is that too young to win the greatest individual achievement in football? He’s been one of the best players in the world across this season, but there’s been somewhat of a divide over whether he truly is a Ballon D’or candidate, with some believing he’s too young and raw to win the award this early. It creates some questions for those watching. Do we measure quality with age in mind, or is quality alone enough of a proving factor? Is Lamine being measured upon his current ability, or the idea of the player he’s going to be 5 years from now? These are all questions that should be answered to place his name in the Ballon D’or debate.

STATISTICS

Lamine Yamal celebrates in front of a crowd of over 30,000 fans after scoring against Espanyol to clinch the La Liga title. (via @lamineyamal on IG)

One arguing point against Lamine’s quality is his lack of statistics, largely in comparison to teammates Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who both have over 30 goals this season. Just looking at statistics is a discredit to Lamine’s ability. He plays right to the touchline as a winger, and draws in one or two defenders who tend to push him to the outside, in fear of letting him cut in on his billion dollar left foot, meaning that his scoring chances are limited in relation to the others. And over the last few weeks, he’s made clear his scoring ability is still strong, scoring nearly identical goals back to back across the last week. His playmaking ability is the biggest piece of his game though, creating chance after chance. Speaking of statistics, 43 G/A across 54 games is no small feat, and when you factor in statistics that show a deeper part of his game, such as his 2.08 key passes per game, then it’s a wonder that people still treat Yamal as if he has little to no output.

BIG GAME PLAYER

Lamine Yamal shoots past Rabiot what would become the equalizer of the Euro 2024 semi final against France. (theindependent.com)

When looking at Yamal this season, there’s one thing that I don’t think any football fan can argue: Yamal is made for when the lights shine the brightest. From the El Clasico to Champions League nights, Yamal’s quality has proven strongest in front of the biggest crowds. To an extent, it shows his maturity as a player, as being able to rise up to these occasions shows a level of composure beyond his own years. Last summer, in response to Adrien Rabiot’s comments stating that 16 year old (at the time) Lamine Yamal would need to “do more than he’s done so far,” he scored past the Frenchman with a stunning curler from outside the box, and eventually went on to win the entire tournament. Factor out maturity as a talking point in this conversation.

FINAL DEBATE

Lamine Yamal is expected to take the iconic number 10 shirt at Barcelona next season, drawing comparisons with the greatest player to ever wear the red and blue, Lionel Messi. (footyheadlines.com)

Is Lamine Yamal the Ballon D’or frontrunner? In my opinion, after Barca’s Champions League exit, he is not – there’s just simply too good of a case for Ousmane Dembele if Paris Saint Germain win the UCL. But that should not smear the season he’s having, or take away the fact that he is a top 5 player in the world right now without a doubt. Him even getting talks of a Ballon D’or should prove that statement within itself, and the fact we must conversate about such should indicate that, given a stronger individual season next year – combined with another unreal campaign from his team, he very well could be the front runner if he continues on this trajectory.

Donate to Crimson Newsmagazine

Your donation will support the student journalists of Paso Robles High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to Crimson Newsmagazine