‘I Deserve It’ - Lamine Yamal Declares Himself Ballon d’Or Favourite as He Names His Only Other Rival

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has declared himself a leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, arguing that his World Cup victory with Spain and LaLiga title with Barcelona should place him ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, the French striker, enjoyed a prolific individual season, finishing as the top scorer in the World Cup, LaLiga, and the Champions League. Last week, he asserted that no player performed better than him, despite his failure to secure any major trophies.

In contrast, Yamal was instrumental in Barcelona's successful LaLiga title defence, earning him the league's Best Player award for the 2025-26 season. He followed this up with a pivotal role in Spain's World Cup victory in North America.

"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," Yamal stated in an interview clip released by Movistar on Sunday.

"As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world," he added. "It’s clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it."

Yamal is looking to go one better after finishing as the runner-up to Ousmane Dembele for the award last year. Mbappe's best finish was third place in 2023, the year Lionel Messi claimed a record eighth Ballon d'Or.

The winner of the prestigious award will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.