Paris, France - Outrage erupted following Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony as Mounir Nasraoui, father of runner-up Lamine Yamal, publicly questioned the validity of Ousmane Dembélé’s win, alleging a “moral damage” inflicted upon his son. Dembélé secured the prestigious award after a season with Paris Saint-Germain where he tallied 35 goals adn 16 assists, leading the club to five trophies including the Champions League title.
Yamal, 16, was recognized with the Raymond Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player. Despite the honor, his father expressed vehement disagreement with the overall result. ”I would not say a flight but a moral damage to a human being,” Nasraoui stated to El Chiringuito.”Because I think Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world.By far… and very far. Not as he is my son but because he is the best player in the world, he has no rival. It’s Lamine Yamal. Something very strange happened here. Next year,he will be the Spanish Ballon d’Or.”
Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, defended the outcome, asserting Dembélé’s victory was decisive. “There was no match. Ousmane won it quite largely.Ousmane has largely won the membership of our ballon d’Or jurors. It is a Ballon d’or which is authoritative to our jurors. On all continents: Ousmane dembélé’s Golden Ball is clear and clear.”
Yamal himself appeared to accept the result with grace, embracing Dembélé after the ceremony and stating, “I’m not going to forget my teammates, everyone helped me be there tonight.I will have to continue working to win other titles in the future.”
The controversy underscores the intense scrutiny surrounding the Ballon d’or and the passionate advocacy often displayed by family members of nominated athletes. The award, presented annually since 1956, recognizes the best male and female footballers globally, judged by a panel of international sports journalists.
