Ballon d’Or 2026: Yamal, Mbappé and PSG step up campaigns
With less than two weeks to go before Ballon d'Or voting closes, many leading candidates are campaigning hard to be awarded football's top individual honour.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has expressed his support for 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal's bid to win the Ballon d'Or. Yamal, who won the World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona last season, believes he deserves the individual accolade.
Flick noted Yamal's self-confidence both on and off the pitch as a key factor in his candidacy. The teenager has scored seven goals in Barcelona's last four games, contributing to the team's impressive start to the season. While Flick would prefer Yamal not to have spoken about the award, he accepts it as a part of the player's self-belief.
Yamal previously claimed that he and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe are among the best players in the world, adding weight to his case for the Ballon d'Or. Flick, who believes Yamal deserves the award, stated that his self-confidence is what makes him such a spectacular player to watch.
The coach acknowledged the difficulty of competing with other world-class players on the list, but expressed his happiness for Yamal if he is chosen. He also mentioned that he is unsure if he will still be managing Barcelona in 2028, when the award ceremony takes place.
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- Flick backs ‘self-confident’ Yamal’s Ballon d’Or bid freemalaysiatoday.com
