Following Spain’s defeat by Portugal in the Nations League final, supporters have boldly asserted on social media regarding Lamine Yamal’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.
The much awaited 2024–25 Nations League final between Spain and Portugal took place on Sunday night at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
The game went into extra time after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Martin Zubimendi in regular time.
The game went to a penalty shootout, which Portugal won 5–4 when Alvaro Morata failed to score, as neither team was able to score in the extra 30 minutes.
Fans have gone to social media to criticize Yamal for his performance on Sunday and make a bold claim regarding his prospects of winning the Ballon d’Or, but it is not Morata who has been called out.
Along with players like colleague Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain, and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Yamal has been regarded as one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or this year after having an incredible season with Barcelona.
However, some supporters have said that his prospects of taking home the coveted prize have vanished as he struggled to overcome PSG defender Nuno Mendes in the Nations League final and failed to make an impression.
“Ballon Dor elect” Yamal was outshined by “finished” 40-year-old Ronaldo, according to a fan’s post on X.
Another concurred, but added, “No Yamal Ballon D’Or shouts anymore.”
One wrote: “16 years ago Messi bathed Lamine Yamal but tonight Ronaldo washed him,” referencing the famous picture of a young Yamal with Barcelona icon Lionel Messi.
Another, however, asserted that the game provided a glimpse of how Barcelona and PSG would have faced each other in a Champions League final, saying: “The way Nuno Mendes is dealing with Yamal, Barca would’ve held belt to PSG in the UCL final.”
Because of the outcome, Portugal has now won the UEFA Nations League title twice, including in the tournament’s first edition in 2019.
It gives captain Ronaldo another trophy to add to his collection. When teammate Ruben Neves’ winning penalty struck the net, Ronaldo broke down in tears.
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