Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick spoke about the praise Pedri received from former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, who revealed that the 22-year-old is his "new favourite footballer". Since Flick took charge of Barca, Pedri has shrugged off his fitness issues and was one of the best midfielders in the world last season, a trend that has carried over into the current season.
Barcelona have been dealt another major blow with Gavi ruled out for five months after undergoing knee surgery, but coach Hansi Flick insists there is 'good news' in the setback as he backed the 21-year-old to return stronger.
Vitinha expressed his happiness at achieving a third-placed finish in the Ballon d'Or rankings and extended his congratulations to Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Ousmane Dembele, who pipped Barcelona rival Lamine Yamal to lift the prestigious award. Vitinha was one of the best midfielders in the world last season and achieved tremendous success with both club and country.
Barcelona’s Camp Nou delays are causing further financial strain on the club, with the Spanish giants being forced to move back to the Montjuic stadium for the time being. Each match at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys costs Barca a hefty amount as institutional vice-president Elena Fort confirmed they are navigating the costs while awaiting the reopening of their iconic stadium.
Lamine Yamal won his second consecutive Kopa Trophy on Monday night, while at the same time finishing as runner up in the men's Ballon d'Or vote to Ousmane Dembele. This is not normal, of course. The kid is still only 18, which makes us think that we're witnessing the dawning of a new era of domination by a single player.
La Liga president Javier Tebas believes that Lamine Yamal only missed out on the 2025 Ballon d'Or because of his age. The Barcelona superstar was pipped to the post by Paris Saint-Germain ace Ousmane Dembele, but Tebas believes it is only a matter of time before the teenager picks up the prize as the world's best footballer.
Real Madrid wonderkid Franco Mastantuono congratulated his Clasico rival and Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal for finishing second in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings. The young Argentine was asked about being compared to Yamal after the former River Plate sensation scored his first goal for Los Blancos in Tuesday's 4-1 win over newly-promoted Levante.
Barcelona’s hopes of returning to Camp Nou this weekend have been dashed once again as the City Council refused to grant the licence needed to reopen the stadium. Hansi Flick’s side, amid ongoing renovations, were aiming to host Real Sociedad at a reduced capacity of 27,000 at Spotify Camp Nou, but security concerns have forced the club to look elsewhere.
Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Gavi could be out for up to five months after having knee surgery. The 21-year-old missed the best part of a year with a cruciate ligament tear in late 2023. Now, the Spaniard is set for more time on the sidelines as the meniscus issue in his right knee is more serious than first believed.
Barcelona have reached a breakthrough with Frenkie de Jong, who has agreed to extend his stay until 2029 on reduced wages. Talks had stalled after the Dutchman changed agents, but fresh negotiations revived the process. Joan Laporta insists good news is close, with De Jong’s renewal securing a vital pillar in Hansi Flick’s midfield.
Marcus Rashford has been accused of "self-sabotage" after turning up late for a Barcelona team meeting. The 27-year-old scored a stunning brace against Newcastle United in the Champions League but was then dropped to the bench for the Getafe clash for his tardiness on the day of the game. Now, the Manchester United loanee has been criticised for his actions.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has issued a mature statement after losing out to Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d'Or race on Monday. The teenage attacker had a stellar 2024-25 campaign with Barca, but Dembele was ultimately crowned the best player on the planet after leading PSG to the treble.
Former Real Madrid footballer Alvaro Benito provided his thoughts on the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony, which saw Ousmane Dembele being crowned as the best player in the world, ahead of rival Lamine Yamal. While Benito admitted that the PSG forward deserved the award, he was unhappy about where Pedri finished in the rankings and was brutally critical of the journalists who vote.
Neymar has taken a clear swipe at France Football while raging over Raphinha's final Ballon d'Or position. The Brazil and Barcelona winger finished fifth in the final vote, while Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele scooped the main prize ahead of second placed Lamine Yamal. Raphinha played a key role for Barca alongside Yamal as they won three domestic titles last season.
Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal showed his lighter side after the Ballon d’Or gala by buying midnight hamburgers for team-mates and friends, while president Joan Laporta admitted he even tried pressing Ronaldinho and Andres Iniesta to reveal the winner. Yamal may have fallen short, but his Kopa Trophy joy kept spirits high as Ousmane Dembele took home the big prize instead.
When Marcus Rashford was unveiled as a new Barcelona signing in August, he kept coming back to one word: discipline. For a player who had missed training after going on a drunken night out in Belfast a year ago and been forced out of Manchester United by Ruben Amorim for his lack of application, it was an intriguing theme for him to draw upon.
Paul Scholes claims that Marcus Rashford “quit on Manchester United” and has branded the England international’s attitude a “disgrace”. A product of the Red Devils’ famed academy system spent time on loan at Aston Villa last season, having slipped out of favour under Ruben Amorim, before linking up with La Liga giants Barcelona for the 2025-26 campaign.
Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele hailed "wonderful" Barcelona rival Lamine Yamal after beating him to the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Dembele scooped the award ahead of Yamal after leading PSG to three trophies in 2024-25, including their maiden Champions League title.
Lamine Yamal may have fallen short in the Ballon d’Or race against Ousmane Dembele, but Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists the setback will only fuel his hunger to claim the award in future. The teenager made history with back-to-back Kopa Trophies, while Aitana Bonmati continued her dominance by lifting a third consecutive Women’s Ballon d’Or.
France Football's editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia has confirmed that Ousmane Dembele beat Lamine Yamal to the 2025 Ballon d'Or by a "wide margin". Dembele and Yamal were the last men standing among the 30 nominees but it was the Paris Saint-Germain star who ultimately claimed the award after a historic 2024-25 season.
Lionel Messi sent a special message to ex-Barcelona team-mate Ousmane Dembele to congratulate him on winning the Ballon d'Or this year. Dembele edged out Blaugrana sensation Lamine Yamal to grab the Golden Ball. The French winger experienced the best season of his career in the 2024-25 campaign as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to a historic treble.
Lamine Yamal’s father has branded Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win the “greatest moral harm” in football, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward walking away with a prestigious Golden Ball in 2025. Barcelona wonderkid Yamal had to settle for a runner-up finish despite those in Catalunya being of the opinion that the 18-year-old is undoubtedly “the best player in the world”.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal was quick to congratulate Ousmane Dembele after seeing the Paris Saint-Germain star beat him to the 2025 Ballon d’Or award. The teenager finished second in the rankings but didn’t go home empty-handed as he won the Kopa Award for a second year running, and his father is confident that it will be a different story next year.
The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the winner of the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced: Ousmane Dembele.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has beaten off competition from Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The France international was crowned the best male player in the world at a ceremony in Paris on Monday night after an incredible season where he won the quadruple with Luis Enrique’s side and delivered the club a first ever Champions League title.
It is the year 2025 and Ousmane Dembele is a Ballon d'Or winner. It's a reality that might require a little getting used to, as the Paris Saint-Germain superstar's path to this point has been far from smooth, but it is a fitting end point nonetheless.