Gavi backs Lamine Yamal in Ballon d’Or talk before Barcelona face Real Madrid
Gavi has spoken about his Ballon d’Or preference in the build-up to Barcelona’s Clasico meeting with Real Madrid. The Barça midfielder’s comments place Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé at the centre of the discussion.
Gavi Ballon d’Or talk has become part of the build-up to Barcelona’s meeting with Real Madrid, after the Barça midfielder discussed the race in interviews with RMC Sport and DAZN. Speaking two days before the Clasico and the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Spanish world champion made clear where his preference lies.
Gavi is close to 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, but he has also made no secret of his desire to see the trophy go to his Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal. The comments arrive at a high-profile moment for Barça, with Real Madrid next on the fixture list this Sunday.
Gavi puts Yamal in the Ballon d’Or conversation
As Barcelona prepare for another Clasico, Gavi’s remarks add a personal angle to the Ballon d’Or debate. The midfielder expressed his favourite for the award and, in doing so, underlined his backing for Lamine Yamal.
Yamal’s name carries particular weight for Barcelona supporters, not only because of his role within the team but because of what the award would represent for the club. Gavi’s preference is therefore more than a passing comment: it reflects the pride inside Barça around one of their own players.
At the same time, Gavi’s closeness to Ousmane Dembélé gives the discussion an added layer. Dembélé is described in the story as the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, and Gavi’s relationship with him is part of the context around the debate.
Clasico timing raises the profile of the remarks
The timing of the interview is significant. Gavi spoke before Barcelona face Real Madrid on Sunday, with the Clasico already one of the most closely watched fixtures in world football.
Any comment from a Barça player in the days before a meeting with Real Madrid naturally draws attention, especially when it concerns the Ballon d’Or. For Barcelona fans, the focus is split between a major domestic rivalry and one of football’s most prestigious individual prizes.
For Real Madrid followers, the same interview is part of the wider noise that surrounds every Clasico week. The rivalry regularly turns individual debates into team talking points, and Gavi’s Ballon d’Or preference is now part of that build-up.
Dembélé and Yamal frame the debate for Barcelona
Gavi’s comments bring together two players with strong Barcelona connections in the Ballon d’Or conversation: Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal. Dembélé is presented as the 2025 winner, while Yamal is the teammate Gavi wants to see associated with the trophy.
That balance makes Gavi’s position notable. He can be close to Dembélé while still hoping the award comes back to a current Barça teammate. In the context of elite football, where individual awards often reflect club identity as much as personal achievement, that distinction matters.
Barcelona supporters will also recognise the symbolism. A Ballon d’Or linked to Yamal would reinforce the club’s belief in its current generation, while Dembélé’s place in the discussion reflects his own standing at the top of the game.
What comes next
Barcelona now move toward Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid, with Gavi’s Ballon d’Or comments adding to the pre-match narrative. The award ceremony is also part of the same immediate backdrop, keeping the attention on Yamal, Dembélé and the wider debate around football’s biggest individual honour.