Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has declared himself worthy of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, putting himself and Real Madrid rival Kylian Mbappe ahead of the competition for the renowned individual award.
Yamal stated that Barcelona’s La Liga success and Spain’s World Cup victory bolstered his argument, whereas Mbappe’s claims are based primarily on his individual scoring numbers, despite Real Madrid failing to win a major prize last season.
“I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it because of what I’ve won.
“As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me, and everyone who watches the matches knows it,” Yamal said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus+, excerpts of which were released ahead of the full program on Monday.
Yamal was crowned La Liga’s best player for the 2025-26 season after helping Barcelona maintain the title and playing an important role in Spain’s World Cup victory in North America.
The 19-year-old took a more cautious approach last week, stating that he believed he had a chance of winning the award but would not campaign for votes. Yamal was crowned La Liga’s best player for the 2025-26 season after helping Barcelona maintain the title and playing an important role in Spain’s World Cup victory in North America.
The 19-year-old took a more cautious approach last week, stating that he believed he had a chance of winning the award but would not campaign for votes.
Mbappe, on the other hand, has publicly supported his own candidacy following a phenomenal season in which he led the World Cup, La Liga, and Champions League in terms of goals scored.
Last week, the France captain said that no player had a better season than him, noting that the Ballon d’Or is an individual prize despite the importance of team achievement.
Yamal and Mbappe have already faced off on the biggest platforms, with Spain defeating France in the World Cup semi-finals and going on to win the championship.
Yamal finished second to Ousmane Dembele in last year’s Ballon d’Or vote, while Mbappe finished third in 2023, when Lionel Messi won the trophy for the record eighth time.
Dembele, who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain last season, has also nominated another PSG player for this year’s award.
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced on October 26 in London.
