Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has stated he is ‘the man’ and believes he should be awarded the 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of the France star Kylian Mbappe.
The 19-year-old has played an integral role for Spain throughout the year, helping them claim a World Cup as La Roja beat Mbappe’s France side before they defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final. The youngster also made history by becoming the first teen to feature in a European Championship and World Cup final, helping Spain win Euro 2024.
Yamal’s individual numbers have also strengthened his case – only Harry Kane (41 direct goal involvements) and Michael Olise (34) contributed to more goals this calendar year, with the Barcelona star having scored 22 goals and assisted nine more.
Yamal, who scored a brace in Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Levante on Sunday, also became only the second player in the 21st Century to net three brace in his side’s opening five LaLiga games, after Messi did so in 2012-13.
“I believe I have every right to be awarded the prize,” Yamal told Movistar when asked who should win the Ballon d’Or. “I believe Mbappe and I are two of the finest players in the world and my titles and performance during the previous season demonstrate this.”
Mbappe has also previously highlighted his presence for this year’s award and claimed last week he was ‘the man’.
