Another challenge to Kane! Yamal steps up his game in the Ballon d’Or race | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal is once again going on the offensive in the race for the Ballon d’Or. The 19-year-old has long considered himself a contender—and is making a bold statement.

Lamine Yamal continues to hold nothing back in the race for the Ballon d’Or. While Bayern star Harry Kane recently chose not to campaign for himself, the 19-year-old is actively promoting his own cause. Now, the Barcelona star has once again clearly underscored his ambitions.

In an interview with the British Guardian, Yamal made it clear that he has considered his performances worthy of the Ballon d’Or for quite some time, not just this season. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve only been at the level to win the Ballon d’Or since this year … but for quite some time now.”

The Spanish national team player apparently feels that his young age, of all things, could work against him in the voting. “Everyone knows that, and everyone knows that I’m a player who makes a difference. I think some people think: Lamine is 19 … he’ll win the Ballon d’Or one day, so let’s give it to someone else instead.”

Yamal announces: “I just have to.”

Yamal believes, however, that eventually he’ll leave no room for doubt about his selection: “I just have to win, win, and win, and there will come a moment when there’s no more debate. There will be people who love it, and others who say, ‘He’s so annoying,’ and that’s normal.”

These statements are consistent with Yamal’s outspoken comments surrounding the prestigious award. Most recently, the Barça star had explained that, in his view, the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world—and not automatically to the one with the most goals or titles.

In particular, his comment at the time about a player with 80 goals drew attention in Munich. Although Yamal didn’t mention Kane by name, his words were interpreted as a possible dig at the Englishman given the Bayern striker’s extraordinary goal-scoring rate.

Photo: IMAGO

Kane, on the other hand, is taking a different approach. The 33-year-old recently emphasized that each candidate must decide for themselves how aggressively to promote themselves. He himself prefers to let his performance on the field do the talking. This approach has also been highlighted recently at FC Bayern.

Thus, two completely different strategies are clashing in the Ballon d’Or race. Yamal is now making his claim to the award unmistakably clear. Kane, on the other hand, is holding back on self-promotion —and is instead relying on his performances to speak for him.