Lamine Yamal has made it clear that winning major trophies has not reduced his hunger, with the Barcelona star insisting that he wants to keep collecting titles and believes he deserves the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Speaking to Movistar’s Universo Valdano, Yamal discussed his ambitions, his view of the Ballon d’Or race, Barcelona’s Champions League challenges, El Clásico and the influence of Lionel Messi.
For a player who has already won the European Championship, LaLiga and the World Cup before turning 20, Yamal’s message was that he sees those achievements as a starting point rather than a reason to slow down.
“People think that because I’ve already won the World Cup, the Euros and LaLiga, I don’t want to win three World Cups and five Champions Leagues,” Yamal said.
“I can assure you that ambition is what I have MORE than anything.”
He went even further when describing how quickly his targets change after success.
“The day I won the World Cup, I already wanted to win another one. After winning three league titles, I want to win six!”
That mentality also feeds into Yamal’s Ballon d’Or ambitions. He considers himself and Kylian Mbappé the two best players in the world and believes his achievements make him deserving of this year’s award.
“I think there could be Mbappé and me as the best player in the world and this year, I believe I DESERVE it,” Yamal said.
He also argued that the Ballon d’Or should recognise the best individual player rather than simply going to the player whose team wins the World Cup.
“Even if England had won the World Cup, I’d still say that Mbappé and I are the two best players in the world,” he explained.
“The Ballon d’Or isn’t about who wins; it’s for the best player. It’s a different concept.”
Yamal explains what Barcelona must improve
While Barcelona have enjoyed considerable domestic success, Yamal believes certain opponents expose areas of the team that need improvement.
“Our weak point stands out more against teams like Bayern or PSG,” he said.
According to Yamal, the physical demands of facing those sides can force Barcelona to defend for longer periods and maintain concentration throughout the game.
“Arsenal is a more tactical match, one that focuses more on ball possession,” he added.
Yamal also identified Paris Saint-Germain as one of the teams he considers a major Champions League threat, although he pointed to the difficulty of repeating success at the highest level.
“I think PSG is one of the favourites, but their problem is that winning again after already having won is something very difficult,” he said.
“That’s the hardest thing in football. When you win a title, winning it again is the most complicated part.”
The comment reflects a wider concern about maintaining hunger after success, something Yamal insists does not apply to his own mentality.
Why Yamal values the things that do not appear in the statistics
The Barcelona forward also explained why he believes some of his most important contributions can be overlooked.
Discussing Ferran Torres’s goal in the World Cup final, Yamal pointed out that his movement helped create the space for the attack.
“For Ferran's goal in the World Cup final… I drew two defenders with me, and Pedro Porro was able to deliver the cross on his own,” he said.
“Drawing two or three opponents is not enough for me. I know I'm helping the team massively, but people don't realise that.”
That is an important part of Yamal’s assessment of his own game. He does not believe goals and assists tell the entire story of his influence, particularly when his movement forces defenders to make decisions that benefit teammates.
Yamal wants another El Clásico
The Barcelona youngster also made no secret of his desire to face Real Madrid again.
“I want to face Real Madrid in El Clásico. I’d really love that,” he said.
Yamal explained that growing up at La Masia gives Barcelona players a particular understanding of the rivalry.
“If you come from La Masia, you know El Clásico feels like a battle,” he said.
He used Marcus Rashford’s first season at Barcelona as an example, recalling how he felt the former Manchester United forward initially had to learn what the fixture meant before producing a different level of intensity in the return meeting.
Yamal’s comments underline how highly he values the rivalry and the emotional significance of playing Real Madrid in a Barcelona shirt.
Messi remains Yamal’s World Cup reference point
Despite being one of football’s biggest young stars himself, Yamal still speaks about Lionel Messi with enormous admiration.
He described Messi as the greatest player in football history and was particularly impressed by what the Argentine produced at the World Cup despite his age.
“Lionel Messi was the best player at the World Cup because of everything he represents and everything he did,” Yamal said.
“Even though everyone knows Messi is the best player in history, nobody expected him to have such an incredible World Cup.”
The comments also show the standard Yamal is setting for himself. Winning major tournaments is no longer enough for him; he wants to keep improving, collect more trophies and, leave a lasting mark on football.
For Yamal, the next target is never simply to repeat what he has already achieved. It is to achieve more.