FIFA The Best 2025: Messi’s vote sparks controversy in Spain
Lionel Messi’s choice, which placed Kylian Mbappé ahead of Lamine Yamal at the FIFA Best Awards, sparked a heated controversy, notably from Catalan pundit Jota Jordi, who was highly critical of the Argentine captain.
Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi @Goal
El Chiringuito pundit Jota Jordi didn’t mince his words about Lionel Messi after the votes for the FIFA The Best Awards 2025 were published. The issue was the Argentine captain’s choice, which put Ousmane Dembélé at the top of his ranking, ahead of Kylian Mbappé, then Lamine Yamal.
While the vote in favor of the Paris Saint-Germain winger surprised no one, the hierarchy established by Messi provoked strong reactions in Spain. Jordi particularly pointed out that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had preferred Mbappé, a Real Madrid player, to Yamal, the FC Barcelona prodigy.
“It’s a real stab in the back of Lamine Yamal, a betrayal,” the Catalan polemicist said, quoted by Sportskeeda. “One plays for Real Madrid, the other wears the number 10 at Barça. This choice is loaded with meaning,” he insisted.
This outburst comes as Lamine Yamal comes off an exceptional season. The young Spanish international finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, behind Dembélé, after playing a major role in Barça’s domestic double. That context makes Messi’s vote all the more debated across the Pyrenees.