This year I deserve Ballon d'Or: Barca's Yamal

Lamine Yamal, a 19-year-old Barcelona winger, is confident in his claim for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The young player, who helped Barcelona retain La Liga and lead Spain to world championship glory, believes he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world. Yamal said, "For me, Mbappe and me, we’re the two best players in the world," in an interview with Movistar Plus.

He attributes his strong claim to the numerous accolades he earned this year. Yamal expressed his belief in his chances, stating, "I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I’ve won." While Mbappe, the France captain, has also campaigned for the award, he finished as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League, and the World Cup.

Real Madrid, however, failed to win a major trophy. Yamal's Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele, the previous year's Ballon d’Or winner, argues that the award should go to a Paris Saint-Germain player after their Champions League success. Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich striker and England international, is among the other favorites for the prestigious award, which will be presented in London on October 26.