Lamine Yamal Makes History: 18-Year-Old Barcelona Winger Crowned Marca's 2024/25 Best Player

Landmark Achievement
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal (18) has been named Marca’s 2024/25 World Footballer of the Year, edging out PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha in a historic vote. The winger amassed 3,310 points – a 210-point margin over runner-up Dembélé (3,100) – despite missing the Club World Cup.

Voting Breakdown
133 Expert Judges: Panel included journalists (Marca, global media), ex-players, and coaches

Scoring System:
1st place: 30 pts | 2nd: 25 pts | 3rd: 23 pts | 4th-10th: 22-11 pts
Timing: Voting opened pre-Club World Cup, but 62% of ballots were cast during/after the tournament

Top 20 Players of 2024/25
1.Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
2.Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
3.Vitinha (PSG)
4.Raphinha (Barcelona)
5.Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
6.Pedri (Barcelona)
7.Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
8.Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
9.Nuno Mendes (PSG)
10.Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
*11-20*: Désiré Doué (PSG), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting CP), Harry Kane (Bayern), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), Julián Álvarez (Atlético), Fabián Ruiz (PSG), Lewandowski (Barcelona), McTominay (Napoli), Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Key Takeaways
PSG Dominance: 7 players in Top 10 (Dembélé, Vitinha, Hakimi, Mendes, Donnarumma, Doué, Fabián)
Barcelona Resurgence: 4 players (Yamal, Raphinha, Pedri, Lewandowski) reflect Hansi Flick’s impact
Premier League Presence: Salah (7th), Palmer (14th), Rice (20th)

Best Managers
Luis Enrique (PSG)
Hansi Flick (Barcelona)
Arne Slot (Liverpool)

*Yamal’s win marks the first time a teenager has claimed Marca’s top honor since its 1997 inception – a testament to his 32-goal, 19-assist campaign.*