Lamine Yamal is leaving his performances to make the case for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. At a September 8 press conference, the Barcelona forward said he was satisfied with his year and did not want to campaign for votes.
The remarks drew attention because Kylian Mbappe is also a leading contender. Marca interpreted Yamal's comments as a message to the Real Madrid striker, but that was the newspaper's reading. Yamal's stated position centred on pride in his own achievements rather than a direct personal attack.
Their cases for the award have different strengths. Yamal scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists last season, winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona before becoming a world champion with Spain. Mbappe did not win a team trophy in that period but topped the scoring charts at the World Cup, Champions League and La Liga.
Yamal also took a relaxed view of Ousmane Dembele leaving him outside his personal top three. He said their relationship remained good and identified the Champions League as his next major target. The award ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London; the outcome still depends on journalists' votes, rather than current assessments of the favourites.