‘How Champions Respond’—Hansi Flick Reveals How Lamine Yamal Reacted to Ballon d’Or Snub

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick believes Lamine Yamal has reacted impressively to coming up short in the 2026 Ballon d’Or voting, stating he’s responded like a “champion” to the disappointing result.

For the second year in a row, Yamal had to sit and clap as another player took home soccer’s most prestigious individual honor. A year after coming second to Ousmane Dembélé, the teenager finished on the Ballon d’Or podium again, this time behind Kylian Mbappé and winner Harry Kane.

Although you could see the disappointment on Yamal’s face after missing out once again, he congratulated Kane and declared his time “will come.” Yamal stated his focus is now back to helping Barcelona achieve success, and on the eve of their weekend clash against Alavés, Flick praised the way his star player handled the Ballon d’Or snub.

“I’m very proud of Lamine,” Flick said. “Because he reacted very good, in my opinion. And what I see also in the training, he’s very focused and this is the way how champions respond. He’s doing a very good job at the moment and I’m very happy that he’s on this way. His mentality is also very good for the team.”

Captains armband. 19-years-old. pic.twitter.com/5pLwvuvtNj
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 9, 2026

Yamal didn’t return from the gala in London empty-handed, winning the Kopa Trophy as the best young talent in the world for the third year in a row. Still, Yamal confessed he wished the honor had gone to Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí, which is something Flick also appreciated.

“I said this to him and also to the team,” Flick added. “The words he said after the trophy he got, about Pau Cubarsí, it was great for me. Pau normally deserved to win this trophy. Because Lamine, the last two seasons he won it also.

“For me it’s the best time to give Pau Cubarsí this trophy, because he played an unbelievable last season and also he played an excellent World Cup.”

Flick Believes Yamal is the Best Player in the World

Lamine Yamal celebrating. — Lamine Yamal is having a fantastic start of the season. | Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Flick has shown little interest in Ballon d’Or scrutiny during each of the last two years in which Yamal has been a serious contender, even looking slightly annoyed when he revealed a couple of his players were traveling to London for Monday’s ceremony 24 hours after losing to Real Madrid in El Clásico.

Still, Yamal clearly cares about adding a Ballon d’Or to his résumé, evidenced by the lengthy public campaign he went on to make his winning case. Although Flick wasn’t overly impressed by Yamal’s tactics, he also said he’d support his claim.

“I would not prefer this,” Flick said about Yamal’s campaigning. “But he is doing it, and has the self-confidence, he wants to win the Ballon d’Or. This is normal as a player, this is an important thing, and important trophy. I will support him.”

Earlier in the season, Flick insisted that Yamal “deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” and after Barcelona’s recent victory against Real Betis, he anointed him as the world’s best.

“This is, for me, at the moment, the best player in the world,” said the Barça boss. “I’m very happy with his performance and this is what I want to see. And of course he has a lot of pressure, he’s 19 and he played in the past almost every game, also with the national team.

“But he’s 100% focused and committed with everything and this is really good. It’s amazing, his performance and his attitude and this is how big, big players are.”

Time for Yamal and Barcelona to Return to Form

Lamine Yamal looking frustrated. — Barcelona have lost consecutive games for the first time since February. | Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto/Getty Images

For Yamal to get over the hump and finally collect the Ballon d’Or next year, steering Barcelona to the summit of Spanish and European soccer is a must.

Both him and Barça started the season with a dream 11-game unbeaten run, but the shine has somewhat disappeared after losses against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the past week. The defeats were two significant blows and Yamal was largely anonymous in both games, but Flick is confident his team can correct course with the season still in its infancy.

“It’s a long, long way to the end of the season where you can win the title,” Flick said on Friday. “Now is a good moment, nothing happened really bad. Of course we lost against Real Madrid, no one here loves it, the players don’t, I don’t, the fans don’t, the club don’t.

“But at the end we have to manage it, and how I said before, I think it was possible to win this game. But we have to accept this defeat and we’ll do it, and we’ll learn from it.”

Yamal is the first player in Europe’s top-five leagues to register double-digit goals and assists this term. After a couple of subpar showings in two defeats, and fueled by the heartbreak of another Ballon d‘Or snub, the teenager will be eager to help Barça return to winning ways against Alavés on Saturday.

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