Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal has made no secret of his belief that he should be walking away with this year's Ballon d'Or. Speaking in a preview clip of his interview with Jorge Valdano on Movistar Plus, the 19-year-old winger argued that his trophy haul over the past season puts him at the top of world football's pecking order.
The teenager believes he would be a deserved winner of football's most prestigious individual prize, pointing to his World Cup success with Spain and his La Liga title with Barcelona as the driving factors behind his case. He didn't shy away from ranking himself among the sport's current elite either, declaring that he and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe stand out as the two best players on the planet right now.
Yamal's résumé over the past twelve months is hard to ignore. He was named La Liga Player of the Season as Barcelona claimed the domestic title, and he was part of the Spain squad that lifted the World Cup, despite a pre-tournament injury limiting his impact. That combination of individual and team success is central to his argument, even as he acknowledges the strength of the competition.
The race, however, isn't a formality. Neither Yamal nor Mbappe won the 2025-26 Champions League, which Paris Saint-Germain secured instead, though both forwards made their mark at the World Cup, with Yamal lifting the trophy as one of the tournament's youngest champions. Mbappe countered with his own record-breaking form, finishing as top scorer across La Liga, the Champions League, and the World Cup, even though Real Madrid ended the campaign without a major trophy.
Notably, Yamal's framing of the contest as a two-horse race sidelines several other big names on the shortlist. His comments effectively exclude the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele, and Rodri from top-tier contention — a list that includes last year's actual winner, his own Barcelona and Spain teammate Dembele.
Yamal isn't new to this kind of confidence. He finished as runner-up to Dembele for the 2025 award and has previously said he wouldn't beg for votes, even while privately believing he had a real shot after what he called an incredible season. This year, he's been far more direct about where he thinks the trophy belongs.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, where we'll finally learn whether Yamal's confidence translates into silverware — or whether Mbappe, Dembele, or another contender takes home the honor instead.