"I think he has had a great year; he deserves it" - Chelsea star Marc Cucurella backs Barcelona star to win 2025 Ballon d'Or

Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has backed Barcelona star Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The Spain international has claimed that his compatriot deserves the most coveted individual accolade in world football.

Lamine Yamal enjoyed a fantastic season with Barca last time out, helping them secure the domestic treble. He also helped Spain win the UEFA European Championship in 2024 and finish runners-up in the UEFA Nations League in 2024-25.

Marc Cucurella, who came through the youth ranks of Barcelona, has lavished praise on his compatriot. He believes that his fellow La Masia graduate deserves to be appreciated for the things he has done at such a young age. Speaking to media after Spain's 3-0 win against Bulgaria, the Chelsea defender said, as quoted by Barca Universal:

“I have to back it. I think Lamine has had a great year; he deserves it. In the end, if he doesn’t win it, it doesn’t matter. He’s very young, but at his age, the things he does are worth appreciating.”

Cucurella has insisted that Yamal is the most difficult winger to deal with due to his unpredictability. With Chelsea set to face Barcelona in the Champions League in November, the 27-year-old admitted that he will have a tough game. The Chelsea left-back said:

“He’s the hardest winger to stop. He’s a very skilful player; you never know what he’s going to do to you. It’ll be a tough match, but I’ll try to make things as difficult as possible for him.”

Lamine Yamal is among the frontrunners to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or 2025 but faces strong competition. Ousmane Demeble, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Raphinha and Mohamed Salah are also among the favorites.

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Barcelona star opens up on failed move to Chelsea this summer

Barcelona star Fermin Lopez has opened up on his failed move to Chelsea in the summer. The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge throughout the summer transfer window but a move failed to materialise.

It was reported that the Blaugrana could be willing to cash in on Lopez due to their dire financial situation. However, they did not entertain an offer for the attacking midfielder whom they valued at €90 million.

Lopez has claimed that he never wanted to quit Barca and wants to succeed at the Catalan club. He said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo:

“My priority has always been to be at Barcelona. I arrived when I was 12; it was my dream to be here, to be able to reach the first team. It’s always a compliment when there’s interest from other clubs, but the truth is, I always had the idea of staying at Barça and being able to succeed here."

The technically gifted attacking midfielder also thanks the fans for urging him to stay at Camp Nou. He added:

“Yes, it’s true. Not just this week, but since I joined the first team, I’ve felt very loved by the culés. It’s appreciated that I’m an important player for Barça."

Fermin Lopez joined Barcelona in 2016 as a 13-year-old and made his debut for the club in 2016. The Chelsea target has so far made 90 appearances for the Spanish champions scoring 19 goals and providing 11 assists.