"He'll make mistakes, as we all have" - Dani Carvajal rates Lamine Yamal's chances of winning Ballon d'Or

Dani Carvajal heaped praise on his national teammate Lamine Yamal, acknowledging the youngster’s incredible rise in the sport while noting that he could be among the candidates for the Ballon d'Or.

Yamal, who came into the limelight following his heroics with Spain in EURO 2024, has continued to mesmerize with his footballing prowess. The La Masia graduate continued his stellar form last season, helping Hansi Flick’s Barcelona win a domestic treble. As a reward for his impact, he is one of the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, set to take place later this month.

In an interview with Cadena SER, Carvajal was asked if Yamal is still the same kid he always was or if he’s really changed. The Real Madrid captain responded:

"From the moment I arrived, I've seen him as always. He hasn't changed from when we were together last year, both in the preparations for the Euros and during the championship."

Despite his continuous display of brilliance, Yamal has been subjected to criticism. Carvajal told critics to step into the winger’s shoes, highlighting the challenges that come with early stardom.

"People have to understand that it's complicated. He's an 18-year-old kid who's already a key player at a club like FC Barcelona, which is one of the best in the world. He's making a difference, he's signed an important contract, his impact has increased dramatically, and well, in the end, it's not easy to manage. He'll make mistakes, as we all have. But, in the end, if you perform on the pitch, give it your all, and then have the quality he has, which is undeniable, then in the end he can become a player who can mark an era."

However, Carvajal distanced himself from debates on whether Yamal could win the Ballon d'Or this season. He said:

"He could be among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or, especially because of his youth. In the end, let's not forget that he's 18, and that I was at Castilla when I was 18, so it's very difficult to make a difference at that age in professional football. Since I'm not going to vote, I'm not going to give it to anyone because I'm not the captain, so I'm off the hook."

Should Lamine Yamal be crowned winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, he will be the youngest player to win the award since its inception.

When Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe named his Ballon d'Or pick between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele

For much of the past three months, the battle for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has largely been between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele. While Yamal won a domestic treble with Barcelona, Dembele won an unprecedented quadruple with Paris Saint-Germain, including the Champions League.

Ahead of France’s third-place match against Germany in the Nations League, Mbappe was asked to name his pick for the Ballon d'Or between Yamal and Dembele. Without any hesitation, Mbappe sided with his compatriot over the Barcelona prodigy. He said, as quoted by RMC Sport:

"Would I vote for Dembélé? Yes. Is there really any need to explain? We're talking about Yamal and Dembélé, I'm going for Dembélé. It's very clear!"

Yamal registered 43 goal contributions across competitions, while Dembele registered 51 goal contributions across competitions last season.