Lamine Yamal continued his publicity campaign for the 2026 Ballon d’Or with a series of controversial statements that criticized the criteria for the prestigious award. Lamine questioned Harry Kane’s eligibility for football’s most coveted individual award and highlighted the standout qualities of his candidacy for the award.
The Spanish winger revealed that the award is meant for the best player in the world and not the best goal scorer, stating that the Gerd Muller and the Pichichi awards are already reserved to celebrate the goalscoring prowess of strikers. Lamine Yamal aired his opinions in an interview with ‘Universo Valdano’ on Movistar Plus+.
“The best player in the world is the one who, as a commentator, you are watching the match and enjoying him; you see him, he is a player who is very different from everyone else,” said Lamine.
“I believe that award should go to the best player in the world, period. Not to a player who has scored 80 goals, because when you score 80 goals, they give you the ‘Pichichi’ award for the season. They are very different things that people are not understanding.”
He continued his rant by downplaying Harry Kane’s chances and excluding the Bayern Munich striker from the best in the world conversation.
“Even if England had won the World Cup, I’d still say that Mbappé and I are the two best players in the world.”
“The Ballon d’Or isn’t about who wins; it’s
for the best player. It’s a different concept”.
France Football outlined three criteria for the award and ranked them by importance. The first criterion is decisive individual performances when it matters, coupled with great character. Afterwards, team performances and trophies won come into play, while class and fair play are the final yardstick for the award. While his claims do hold some water, they’re outlandish. Based on the criteria, Harry Kane deserves the Ballon d’Or as much as Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele. They’re all joint favourites for the award, with Kane, Yamal and Mbappe being frontrunners this year. Popularity makes a difference too.
Lamine Yamal’s approach is tactical, ensuring the media conversations are centred around him and Mbappe for the Ballon d’Or. Notably, the Spanish winger triumphed over Mbappe in La Liga and the World Cup, placing him ahead of the latter in the battle for the award. The meaning is clear; we are the best players in the world, but I am better because I triumphed over him in the Spanish league and the World Cup. The odds are in His favour. He might have sung Mbappé’s praises, but they were actually a veiled dig at the Real Madrid star.
“Mbappé plays for Real Madrid, and I play for Barça, so we have a direct rivalry, and I’ve beaten him in terms of trophies”.
“I’ve outdone Mbappé in all the titles. As the best player in the world, maybe we’re the only two, but I think I’d deserve the Ballon d’Or this year,” added Lamine.
When quizzed about Lamine’s declaration on their statuses as the best players in the world, Kylian Mbappe gave a perfunctory response, saying:
“He’s a very talented player, and I have a feeling he’s going to have a great career. I wish him, his family, and his loved ones all the best”, said Mbappe to AS.
Meanwhile, Lamine’s strike partner Raphinha publicly backed the Spanish winger for the award in a statement, saying:
“Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d’Or by a mile. He has the numbers, he has won trophies with the club, and he has won the World Cup”, said Raphinha to RAC1.”
“People will pay whatever it takes to watch him play, and I would pay it too.”
Bayern’s Ballon d’Or Hypocrisy
In the wake of Lamine Yamal’s statements and the record-breaking performance that saw him become the fastest player to reach 100 Bundesliga goals, Harry Kane was asked for his opinion on the former’s attacks in the press and offered an indifferent response, refusing to engage in verbal exchanges. Kane said he lets his performance on the pitch decide whether he deserves the Ballon d’Or.
“I don’t want to talk a lot about myself. I talk on the pitch. Everyone is different.”
“Lamine Yamal had a great season, Michael Olise as well. The Ballon d’Or is not in my hands”, said Kane via AZ_Strasser.
Bayern director Max Eberl also gave his two cents on Lamine Yamal’s words about the Ballon d’Or, saying:
“The best players are those who don’t need a campaign,” said Eberl.
However, critics pointed to Bayern’s hypocrisy, as they previously rallied their players to campaign for Harry Kane as the Ballon d’Or winner and are now trying to stand on the moral high ground.
The debates about the Ballon d’Or are not going away anytime soon. The award ceremony is taking place in London on October 26, and till then, the media debates will keep raging.
