Lamine Yamal claims only Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe stands between him and the Ballon d’Or award set to be presented in London on Oct. 26.
The Barcelona winger framed the race for football’s top individual prize as a direct contest between the two players following strong campaigns for both club and country.
Yamal pointed to his role in Barcelona’s LaLiga title defense and Spain’s World Cup victory as the foundation for his bid, while Mbappe delivered high-scoring individual performances across multiple competitions.
“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 said in an interview clip shared by Movistar. “As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it.”
Yamal earned LaLiga’s best player award for the 2025-26 season before helping Spain secure the World Cup title in North America. The teenager came close to winning the award last year, placing second behind Ousmane Dembele.
Mbappe finished as the top goalscorer in LaLiga, the Champions League, and the World Cup. However, the French forward ended his season without securing a major team trophy. Mbappe previously finished third in the 2023 voting, which Lionel Messi won.
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