Laporta believes Yamal deserved Ballon d'Or for talent and titles

Barcelona president Laporta believed Lamine Yamal deserved the Ballon d'Or for his talent and titles, but Harry Kane won the award; Yamal finished third.

Joan Laporta attended the Ballon d'Or gala at London Palladium alongside UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Before the winner was announced, Laporta told Movistar that he thought Lamine Yamal merited the award. "We think Lamine Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or for individual talent and the titles he has won. He is very excited and it would upset us for him. We knew nothing. They are very secretive and there was mystery," Laporta said.

Harry Kane ultimately won the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Yamal finished third on the podium, behind Kane and Kylian Mbappé, with Rodri Hernández in fourth. Among Barcelona players, Pau Cubarsí placed 12th, narrowly missing the top 10, while Joan García was nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year alongside Unai Simón and David Raya.

Laporta also addressed Barcelona's 1–2 league defeat to Real Madrid, saying the players would recover quickly despite the setback. "We remain first in the league with our expectations intact, and Flick is the ideal coach for Barcelona," he added.