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Yamal Claims Ballon d’Or Deserves, Sees Mbappe as Main Rival
Confirmed
In Short: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's star player, believes he deserves the Ballon d’Or this year, citing his World Cup success and La Liga title. He sees Kylian Mbappe as his main competitor.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's star player, believes he deserves the prestigious Ballon d’Or this year, citing his success with Spain and Barcelona.
According to Yamal, he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world, with Mbappe being his main rival for the award.
Mbappe, who was the top scorer at the World Cup and in La Liga and the Champions League, has also campaigned for the Ballon d’Or, stating that no player was better than him last season.
Yamal was named La Liga’s best player in 2025-26 and played a key role in Spain winning the World Cup in North America.
Barcelona’s head coach, speaking to Barca Blaugranes, praised Yamal, saying, 'I have always believed that the Ballon d’Or should reward a player who stands apart. Of course, there is a team component—and it is important, because football is a team sport—but it is an individual trophy. My idea of the Ballon d’Or is shaped by the Messi and Ronaldo era: it is never awarded to ordinary players, but to those who are truly different. And I believe I have done things that set me apart this year. That is why I think I can win it.
Mbappé, who was the top scorer of the FIFA World Cup, also campaigned for the Ballon d’Or, stating, 'There was no one better than me last season.' However, he acknowledged that others might have valid reasons to vote differently.
The Ballon d’Or is usually awarded to players who have won significant team trophies, but a few previous winners have won the award without winning a team trophy that season, most recently Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.
What's confirmed
- Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's star player, believes he deserves the prestigious Ballon d’Or this year, citing his success with Spain and Barcelona.
- According to Yamal, he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world, with Mbappe being his main rival for the award.
- Mbappe, who was the top scorer at the World Cup and in La Liga and the Champions League, has also campaigned for the Ballon d’Or, stating that no player was better than him last season.
- Yamal was named La Liga’s best player in 2025-26 and played a key role in Spain winning the World Cup in North America.
- Barcelona’s head coach, speaking to Barca Blaugranes, praised Yamal, saying, 'I have always believed that the Ballon d’Or should reward a player who stands apart. Of course, there is a team component—and it is important, because football is a team sport—but it is an individual trophy. My idea of the Ballon d’Or is shaped by the Messi and Ronaldo era: it is never awarded to ordinary players, but to those who are truly different. And I believe I have done things that set me apart this year. That is why I think I can win it.
- Mbappé, who was the top scorer of the FIFA World Cup, also campaigned for the Ballon d’Or, stating, 'There was no one better than me last season.' However, he acknowledged that others might have valid reasons to vote differently.
- The Ballon d’Or is usually awarded to players who have won significant team trophies, but a few previous winners have won the award without winning a team trophy that season, most recently Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.
What's still developing
- “I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it because of what I’ve won,” Lamine said in an interview clip shared by Spanish streaming platform Movistar on Sunday.
- Mbappe, meanwhile, has also made his case for the award in recent days.
- The Spanish teen was runner-up to Ousmane Dembele last year, while Mbappe was third in 2023, when Lionel Messi won the award for a record eighth time.
- Kylian Mbappé has taken the somewhat unusual step to campaign for the Ballon d’Or this season, telling French magazine L’Equipe, “There was no one better than me last season.” Mbappé was the top scorer of this past FIFA World Cup, albeit he took advantage of a third-place match played at a leisurely pace to leapfrog Lionel Messi.
- Harry Kane of Bayern Munich is rated as the most likely winner, with Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona coming second, and Mbappé third.
- The Real Madrid star praised Yamal, though he did so within the context of upcoming youngsters, not necessarily as a fellow competitor for football’s top individual prize.
- Despite confidently backing himself, Mbappé did admit that, “objectively speaking, I can understand those who might vote differently,” for the Ballon d’Or, saying his thinking was not “a dictatorship.” But, he says, “when you analyze the arguments and the competition, it wouldn’t be unfair,” for him to win.
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