A journalist has shared his theory on who will lift the 2025 Ballon d'Or after details emerged surrounding Lamine Yamal's appearance at the upcoming ceremony.
Yamal is one of the front-runners to take home football's most prestigious individual prize on Monday night.
The 18-year-old forward, who is widely regarded as a generational talent, notched 21 goals and 26 assists in all competitions last season as Barcelona completed the domestic treble.
But the question remains – will he become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner of all time? Well, journalist Edu Aguirre from Spanish TV channel El Chiringuito certainly thinks so.
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Speaking about the upcoming awards on a recent episode of El Chiringuito, Aguirre said: "I think Lamine is going to win for sure. You don't go with 20 people if you know you're not going to win."
Yamal will be accompanied by a delegation of 20 people on Monday night, according to Mundo Deportivo, who claim the group will consist mainly of family members.
The report goes on to claim that all of Yamal's family will wear outfits from Dolce and Gabbana.
And if he does scoop the Ballon d'Or award, then Yamal is planning to organise a private party in the French capital, although the plan is being kept under 'strict secrecy'.
Based on a leaked image, Yamal will make history at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday, although fans have spotted some glaring errors.
Argentine journalist Pablo Giralt posted a picture of the so-called final results alongside the caption: "The alleged 2025 Ballon d'Or list has been leaked. Lamine Yamal would be the winner, Dembelé second, and Vitinha third. Opinions?"
Giralt sparked plenty of debate with the post, but fans spotted two glaringly obvious spelling mistakes in the copy. Kylian Mbappe's name is spelt wrong, and so is Inter Milan's full registered title, Internazionale.
Despite the leaks, France Football's editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia, is the only person who knows the name of the winner, and according to the man himself, he doesn't even share it with the management of L'Equipe, the magazine's owner.
"The Ballon d'Or winner? I will keep the secret even if it means falling out with some people," said Garcia.
"I will keep the secret until the very end."
Topics: Ballon d'Or, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele
Jack Kenmare