Lamine Yamal’s Three-Word Message Ignites Ballon d’Or Feud With Kylian Mbappe
While Lamine Yamal named Kylian Mbappé as one of the top two players in the world over the past 12 months, the Barcelona star left no doubt over his pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or: “I deserve it.”
The release of the 30-man shortlist for this year’s award has sparked pushes from some of the world’s top players. Mbappé recently insisted there had been nobody better than him over the past season, insisting he feels good about his chances of winning the award.
Mbappé is undoubtedly among the favorites to win, but the Real Madrid forward is joined towards the top of the rankings by Yamal. The 19-year-old contributed 24 goals and 18 assists for La Liga winners Barcelona and then helped Spain to World Cup glory this summer.
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“Who would I give it to? The best in the world,” Yamal told Movistar+. “Who are they going to give it to? That’s a very long discussion.
“I honestly think that maybe there are two of us who are the best in the world. And I think I deserve it this year because of what I’ve won. Because for me, Mbappé and I are the two best in the world. For me, it’s very clear, and everyone who watches the games knows it.”
Barcelona Vice-President Calls for ‘Justice’ in Ballon d’Or Race
Yamal’s belief that he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or was, predictably, backed up by Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste.
“Lamine Yamal is a young boy who is giving a lot of hope to young people around the world,” Yuste insisted. “He has a genius that at his age is incredible, it has been many years since I have seen a player like him. Therefore, I believe and wish that justice will be done with this well-deserved Ballon d’Or.
“Simply, for giving so much happiness to so many boys and girls around the world and to us who like football, justice has to be done, and he deserves everything and more for being the way he is and for making so many people happy.”
The Third Contender Yamal and Mbappé Are Forgetting
Yamal and Mbappé have, while staking their own claims for Ballon d’Or glory, been very complimentary to each other, proudly boasting their confidence in their abilities.
The problem is, however, neither player is actually viewed as the favorite.
Leading the polls currently is Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who netted 73 goals for club and country across the 2025–26 season to fly right to the top of the rankings ahead of next month’s award ceremony.
Yamal and Mbappé may sit clear as the two best players in the world, but the Ballon d’Or is designed to celebrate the best player over the previous season, and Kane’s numbers make him incredibly hard to ignore.
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Working in Kane’s favor is Bayern’s success. Europe’s Golden Boot winner helped Bayern to a domestic treble and the semifinals of the Champions League, where he scored in both legs in one of the greatest ties in competition history against eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Yamal’s Barcelona won La Liga and the Spanish Supercopa, before he played a subdued role in Spain’s World Cup triumph. That puts the youngster clear of Mbappé, who ended the year without silverware but did win the World Cup’s Golden Boot and became the leading scorer in tournament history.
Team success often plays into the final Ballon d’Or verdict, which could give Kane or Yamal the edge over Mbappé.
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