Lamine Yamal believes his achievements with Spain and Barcelona put him ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe in this year’s Ballon d’Or contest.
The Ballon d’Or debate
Mbappe finished as the leading scorer at the World Cup, LaLiga and the Champions League. The France international also said last week that nobody had performed better than him during the previous season, although he ended the campaign without a trophy.
Yamal, meanwhile, was chosen as LaLiga’s best player for 2025-26 after helping Barcelona retain the championship. He then made a major contribution as Spain lifted the World Cup in North America.
“I truly think there are two outstanding players in the world, and I should win it this year because of the trophies I have collected,” Yamal said in an interview clip released on Sunday.
He added: “For me, Mbappe and I are the two best players on the planet. That is obvious to me, and anyone who watches our games can see it.”
Yamal finished second to Ousmane Dembele in last year’s voting. Mbappe placed third in 2023, when Lionel Messi secured the prize for an eighth-record time.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
