Spanish football pundit Jota Jordi has voiced strong disapproval of Lionel Messi’s voting selections for the 2025 FIFA Best Men’s Player award, describing the Argentine captain’s ballot as a “betrayal” of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
Following the official release of the voting data from the December 16 ceremony in Doha, it was revealed that Messi awarded his top five-point vote to Ousmane Dembélé, followed by Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé in second and Lamine Yamal in third.
Jordi, a prominent voice on the popular sports program El Chiringuito, argued that Messi’s decision to prioritize a Real Madrid representative over the young heir to his former number 10 jersey at Barcelona was unacceptable. He suggested that Messi’s deep historical ties to the Catalan club should have influenced a different hierarchy, regardless of individual season statistics.
“This is a stab in the back to Lamine Yamal, a betrayal,” Jordi stated during a recent broadcast. “One plays for Real Madrid and the other wears the 10 at Barça. I’m saying this very seriously; this is very significant.”
The controversy arises despite Yamal’s extraordinary year, which saw the teenager finish as the runner-up in both the 2025 FIFA Best and Ballon d’Or rankings. The winner of the night, Ousmane Dembélé, secured the trophy after a historic treble-winning season with Paris Saint-Germain, including their first-ever UEFA Champions League title.
While the media debate continues, the relationship between Messi and Yamal remains one of mutual respect; Yamal recently referred to Messi as the greatest of all time and is expected to face him when Spain and Argentina meet in the 2026 Finalissima.
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