Lamine Yamal Says He ‘Deserves’ this Year’s Ballon d’Or Award
*Names Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe as main rival for the title Barcelona forward, Lamine Yamal, believes he would be a deserved winner of the Ballon d’Or this year, given his World Cup
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal believes he is a deserving candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or award, citing his World Cup triumph with Spain and La Liga success with Barcelona. Yamal claims that he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world, based on his own assessment and that of other viewers. Last season, Mbappe was the top scorer in both the World Cup and La Liga, as well as the Champions League, but did not win any additional titles.
Yamal was named La Liga's best player for the 2024-25 season and played a crucial role in Spain's World Cup victory in North America. He maintained a more measured stance during a news conference, acknowledging his belief in his chances after an "incredible" season, but refraining from actively campaigning for votes. Mbappe has also pushed his case for the award in recent days, having been third place in the contest last year behind Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi, who won his eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023.
Dembele, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain, believes the award should go to a player from the same club, which has recently retained the Champions League. Other strong contenders for the award include Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, an England international, and a select few other players. The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
