Laporta vs. Ballon d’Or: Barça President Sparks Firestorm, Dembélé Fires Back
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has ignited a global storm with explosive comments that strike at the heart of football’s most prestigious individual award.
In a scathing interview, Laporta vowed he would never again allow Barça players to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony, branding the award “corrupted by money and power” and claiming it no longer reflects true sporting merit.
“It is not about footballing achievement anymore, but about economic interests and media campaigns. We will not be accomplices to this farce,” Laporta declared, taking aim squarely at France Football, the organizers of the award.
The remarks stunned fans and pundits alike. For decades, the Ballon d’Or has been synonymous with Barça pride, especially during the Lionel Messi era, when the Argentine lifted the trophy a record-breaking seven times while wearing Blaugrana colours.
Dembélé’s Defiant Response
If Laporta expected silence from his squad, he was wrong. Within hours, current Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé broke ranks with his president in a sharp social media post:
“The Ballon d’Or represents effort, sacrifice, and talent across an entire career. No one can take away what I earned on the pitch.”
Dembélé’s public defence of the award, celebrated by thousands of fans online, landed like a thunderbolt at Camp Nou. It placed Barça’s hierarchy in an awkward position, forcing Laporta to soften his stance in a follow-up statement. He insisted his criticism was aimed at the voting system, not at players like Dembélé.
A Club Divided?
The incident has unleashed fierce debate across Europe. Was Laporta acting to protect Barça’s image during a turbulent period, or was this another headline-grabbing distraction from deeper issues at the club? Meanwhile, Dembélé’s defiance has been hailed as a moment of courage, asserting that a player’s sacrifice and success cannot be diminished by politics.
What began as another provocative soundbite from Laporta has escalated into a battle of legitimacy and pride. With Barcelona once again thrust into the global spotlight, the football world waits to see how this power struggle between the president’s rhetoric and the players’ voices unfolds
