{
  "id": 9101717,
  "title": "Barcelona captain Raphinha explains why Lamine Yamal must win Ballon d’Or: ‘Most important player for club and country’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/barcelona-captain-raphinha-explains-why-lamine-yamal-must-win-ballon",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T06:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/barcelona-captain-raphinha-explains-why-064000242.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Barcelona captain Raphinha has made it clear that his teammate Lamine Yamal should win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, despite strong competition from other players like Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane. With the voting deadline approaching, Raphinha believes the teenager has the necessary statistics, trophies, and individual qualities to take home the prize. In an interview with The Guardian, Raphinha stated, \"Without a doubt, yes\" when asked if Yamal was the ideal candidate for the award. He explained that the Ballon d’Or depends on individual statistics, team honors, and the magic a player brings to the pitch. Raphinha highlighted Yamal's consistent performance across multiple seasons, including a strong start to the current one. He also pointed out Yamal's trophy haul, mentioning his successes with Barcelona and the Spanish national team, including winning two out of three titles with Barcelona and the World Cup. Raphinha emphasized Yamal's importance to both Barcelona and Spain, stating, \"He’s one of the most important players at Barça and for the Spanish national team. For me, there’s no doubt about it: he has to win the award, no matter what.\" Although others may have different opinions, Raphinha stands firm in his belief that Yamal is the clear favorite. He concluded, \"Even if I wasn't Lamine’s teammate, given what he does on the pitch, his statistics, the titles he’s won... he has to win it.\"",
  "summary": "Raphinha has made his position on the Ballon d’Or clear, backing Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal to win the prestigious award despite strong competition from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane a...",
  "key_points": [
    "Barcelona captain Raphinha believes Lamine Yamal should win Ballon d’Or.",
    "Yamal has strong individual statistics and multiple team honors.",
    "Raphinha emphasizes Yamal's importance to Barcelona and Spain."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Raphinha's endorsement cements Lamine Yamal's status as a top contender for the Ballon d'Or, underscoring his teammate's impressive stats, trophies, and value to both Barcelona and the Spanish national team.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "2026 Ballon d’Or: Raphinha lists three reasons Yamal should win award",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/2026-ballon-dor-raphinha-lists-three-reasons-yamal-should-win-award",
        "published": "2026-09-22T05:15:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Luis de la Fuente admits losing Barcelona player was the toughest moment of his spell at Spain NT",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/luis-de-la-fuente-admits-losing-barcelona-player-was-the-toughest",
        "published": "2026-09-22T08:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}