Lamine Yamal refuses to campaign for Ballon d’Or

Lamine Yamal, a 19-year-old Barcelona winger, has stated that he will not campaign for the Ballon d’Or despite having a successful season with both his club and Spain. He helped Barcelona secure another La Liga title and Spain win the World Cup. Yamal expressed pride in his achievements but believes that others should decide whether he deserves the award.

Yamal also commented on his teammate Pau Cubarsi, naming him as a strong contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Men’s Young Talent of the Year award, also known as the Kopa Trophy, according to the Daily Post Nigeria. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 26.

Yamal finished second in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting behind PSG star Ousmane Dembele. This year, he is among the leading contenders for the award, alongside Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with the ceremony set to take place in London.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, Daily Post Nigeria, Daily Trust, The Citizen, IOL — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.