Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has made a bold claim in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race, insisting that he deserves to win the award while naming Kylian Mbappé as his biggest rival.
Yamal, speaking to Movistar, said he considers himself and Mbappé the two best players in the world but believes his trophy haul gives him the edge.
“For me, Mbappé and I, we are the two best in the world,” Yamal said.
“But I think I am the one who deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.”
The 19 year old believes his case is strengthened by what he achieved with Barcelona and Spain over the past year.
He helped Barcelona retain the LaLiga title before playing a key role in Spain’s World Cup triumph.
“I believe I deserve this Ballon d’Or also because of the titles I have won and achieved last season,” Yamal said.
His confidence comes after finishing second behind Ousmane Dembélé in last year's Ballon d’Or voting.
The 2026 winner will be announced in London on October 26, with Yamal and Mbappé both among the 30 nominees.
Yamal refuses to be satisfied
Despite his remarkable list of achievements at such a young age, Yamal insists he has no intention of slowing down.
The Barcelona winger pointed to legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pelé when discussing the amount he has already achieved early in his career.
“There are great players like Messi, Cristiano and Maradona, but I think it’s never happened before that someone has won so much at such an early age,” Yamal said.
“There was Pelé, but in recent times… never, I think.”
Yamal also rejected the idea that winning major trophies so early could make him relax or lose his hunger.
“People have this mindset that because I’ve won, maybe I’ll relax with my career at some point... No,” he added.
“I know I have a thousand things to do to stay in football history.”
That mentality has become an important part of Yamal's rise. Rather than viewing his early success as a finished achievement, the teenager believes it gives him a platform to accomplish even more.
World Cup success was not enough for Yamal
Interestingly, Yamal was also critical of his own performance at the World Cup despite helping Spain lift the trophy.
He admitted that his standards are much higher than those of most players and that he was unhappy with how he performed during the tournament.
“For any other player, with my performance it would have been a great World Cup… not for me,” Yamal said.
“I wasn’t happy with how I played.”
The forward's comments underline just how high his expectations have become.
Winning the World Cup with Spain was one of the biggest achievements of his young career, but Yamal believes he still had more to give.
“I really want the World Cup one to come,” he added.
For now, his attention is also firmly on the Ballon d’Or.
With Barcelona and Spain trophies already strengthening his case, Yamal believes the award should be his; even with Mbappé and several other elite players competing for it.
Whether voters agree will be decided when the winner is announced in October.