Two years in a row, Lamine Yamal has lost the Ballon d’Or. Two years in a row, someone close to him has gone public about it. From where I sit in the sports industry, that is a bigger problem than finishing third. Let me explain. Last year, when Ousmane Dembélé won, Lamine’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, said he would not call it a robbery, but described it as “a moral injustice inflicted on a human being.” The reaction in Spain was not kind. Radio Marca’s Ricardo Reyes said the ceremony had been fair until those comments, and that they did his son a disservice. Then in September, Lamine himself said Harry Kane was not a real rival for this year’s award, because the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world, and the Golden Boot already rewards top scorers. Bayern beat Union Berlin 7-0 shortly after, and Union’s official account joked about whether he could have kept quiet. Last night, Kane won. Mbappé was second. Lamine was third, and today a quote attributed to his uncle is doing the rounds, saying Lamine was the best player in the world and that he will win five of them. Here’s the thing. The Ballon d’Or is not a fan poll. It is decided by 100 journalists, each ranking 10 players. Those are the same people who write about him every week, interview him and shape how the world sees him. Every public complaint from his camp lands on their desks too. None of this means Lamine did not deserve it. You can make that argument, and many people will. But in this industry, a player’s reputation is managed as carefully as his fitness. Families are allowed to be proud and they are allowed to be hurt. Doing it in public, every year, starts to build a story around the player that he never asked for. And look at what he actually has. He is 19 years old. He has won the World Cup and La Liga, and last night he won Young Talent of the Year for the third season in a row. He is already on his second Ballon d’Or podium. The best thing his camp can do now is let him do the talking, on the pitch. My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.