Lamine Yamal Refuses To Beg For Ballon d’Or Award

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal says he will not campaign for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, insisting he is proud of what he has achieved with Spain and the Catalan club.

Naija News reports that Lamine Yamal, 19, is among the leading contenders for the award after helping Spain win the World Cup and Barcelona retain the La Liga title. Yamal finished second in last year’s voting behind Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé.

Despite his impressive season, Yamal insists he will leave the decision to the voters rather than try to convince them that he deserves the prize.

“I don’t think I need to (make a campaign for it). I’m not thinking about what I deserve; everyone can think what they like,” Yamal told reporters.

“I’m proud of everything I’ve done this year with my club and with the national team. We’ve become world champions; we’ve won the league again. I can’t ask for anything more.

“I think… I’ve shown an incredible level; it’s (the media’s) job, and I will not beg for anything.”

Yamal faces competition from Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, Dembélé, Harry Kane and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Mbappé has also made a strong case for the award after winning the World Cup Golden Boot and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Dembélé recently named Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé among his top three candidates, prompting a light-hearted response from Yamal.

“He’s a friend of Kylian, right?” joked Yamal.

“The truth is, I don’t care; I’m very happy with the year I had. When I played against both of them together, I must have annoyed them.”

The Barcelona star has returned to his best form after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in April. He scored against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in his last two appearances and says he is enjoying his football more than ever.

“In the end, I’m 19, coming off winning a World Cup, having had the best holidays of my life,” said Yamal.

“I’ve never been happier at any point in my life than I am now.”

Yamal has now shifted his focus to Barcelona’s Champions League campaign, with the Spanish giants beginning their campaign against Feyenoord on Wednesday.

Barcelona last won the competition in 2015 and reached the semi-finals in 2025 before exiting in the quarter-finals last season.

Coach Hansi Flick believes Barcelona have the quality to challenge for the trophy but knows they face a long road ahead.

“Every big club is dreaming about this because this is the best competition,” said Flick.

“We have the quality to win this, but there’s a long way (to go).”

Flick also praised Yamal’s ability to influence matches and said the winger’s enjoyment of football has helped him reach his best level.

“Lamine is a player who can decide games on his own, fantastic quality,” added Flick.

“It’s great; you can see it every day how he is enjoying playing football.

“For me, the best thing is that he enjoys this game and then he’s on the top level.”

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London on October 26.