Lamine Yamal has said he deserves to win this year’s Ballon d’Or after lifting the FIFA World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona, with the teenager naming Kylian Mbappe as his main rival but believing he has the edge over the Frenchman.
Yamal is among the favourites to win the individual award following his success with club and country, with Spain and now Barcelona teammate Rodri also in the running.
He is likely to also face competition from Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Mbappe, who both enjoyed prolific club campaigns before playing pivotal roles in their countries’ runs to the World Cup semi-finals.
The 19-year-old insists he and Mbappe are “the best two players”, but believes he should be the one to lift the ‘Golden Ball’ in London on October 26.
Yamal told Movistar: “Who would I give the Ballon d’Or to? I honestly think there are perhaps only two players who are the best in the world, but I deserve it this year.
“For me, Kylian Mbappe and I are the best two players, and anyone who watches the matches knows that.
“I believe I deserve this Ballon d’Or also because of the titles I have won and achieved last season. That’s my view.”
Yamal scored 24 goals in all competitions for Barcelona last term, while registering 18 assists as the Catalan club won their second league title on the spin and the Spanish Super Cup.
The winger scored six goals in 10 UEFA Champions League appearances, before Barcelona’s quarter-final exit at the hands of La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.
Yamal then tasted World Cup glory in the summer two years on from Spain’s Euro triumph, becoming the first player to play in both a European Championship and World Cup final as a teenager.
However, he arrived in North America nursing a hamstring injury and did not enjoy the most fruitful tournament from an individual perspective, scoring just one goal and registering only one assist.
“After winning the World Cup, I wasn’t happy,” he told Movistar. “Obviously, I went into the tournament with an injury, but that has nothing to do with it.
“I would have performed as well without the injury. That said, I did a lot of things that people didn’t see. For example, I think it’s incredible for a coach to have a player who can drag three opponents along with him.
“But I wasn’t happy with my own performance. I know another player performing at my level would have had a great World Cup, but for me, I could have done more. I did help the team, but I can’t wait for the next [World Cup] to arrive.”
Mbappe won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals – albeit two of those came in the third-place play-off. Kane netted six times, and Rodri secured the Golden Ball for his impressive displays as Spain captain.
Mbappe also topped the scoring charts in La Liga and the Champions League, while Kane scored a staggering 73 goals for England and Bayern last term.
The French striker recently said he has faith he can win the Ballon D’Or next month, stating that “there was no player better than me” last season.
And speaking last week to TNT Sports about his Ballon d’Or hopes, Kane said: “Of course, now it is out of my hands; it is down to the voters and the people who decide it. The season I had was my best season by far, and we’ll have to wait and see.”
Yamal came second in last year’s award behind Ousmane Dembele, while Mbappe is yet to feature in the top two, with a best finish of third in 2023. England and Bayern’s Kane has never ranked higher than 10th.
Rodri was named winner in 2024, famously beating Vinicius Junior to the prize after winning the Euros and Premier League.
