{
  "id": 7428312,
  "title": "Lamine Yamal Says He ‘Deserves’ this Year’s Ballon d’Or Award",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/lamine-yamal-says-he-deserves-this-years-ballon-dor-award",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T00:03:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/15/lamine-yamal-says-he-deserves-this-years-ballon-dor-award/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "*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",
  "key_points": [
    "Lamine Yamal believes he deserves this year's Ballon d'Or.",
    "Yamal cites World Cup win and La Liga success for claim.",
    "Mbappe and Kane are other top contenders."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Lamine Yamal's assertion that he deserves the Ballon d'Or award signals a shift in the traditional hierarchy of top players, challenging established stars like Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}