Lamine Yamal names his only Ballon d’Or rival – and it’s not Harry Kane | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal believes his World Cup success with Spain and winning La Liga alongside Barcelona should give him the upper hand over Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Ballon d'Or.

France striker Mbappe, who finished as top scorer in the World Cup, La Liga, and the Champions League, stated last week that no player was better than him last season despite failing to claim any silverware.

Yamal was voted La Liga’s standout player in 2025-26 as Barcelona successfully retained the title, before proving pivotal in Spain’s World Cup victory across North America.

"I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it because of what I’ve won," Yamal said in an interview clip released by Movistar on Sunday.

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Yamal has named Mbappe as his only rival for the Ballon d'Or (Getty)

"As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it."

Yamal was runner-up behind PSG and France forward Ousmane Dembele last year, while Mbappe came third in 2023 when Lionel Messi won the honour for a record eighth time.

The 30-player shortlist for this year’s award was released last week, with Yamal, Mbappe and Dembele all making the cut.

However, England captain Harry Kane is considered by many to be the favourite for the Ballon d’Or this time around after scoring a staggering 73 goals for club and country last season.

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Harry Kane is considered by many to be the favourite for the Ballon d'Or (Reuters)

Kane won the Bundesliga and German Cup with Bayern Munich, but was knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Dembele’s PSG.

He also fell short of leading England to World Cup glory as the Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Argentina in the semi-finals, although they did regroup to beat France 6-4 in the third place play-off.

Speaking last week to TNT Sports about his Ballon d’Or hopes, Kane said: "Of course, now it is out of my hands, it is down to the voters and the people who decide it. The season I had was my best season by far and we’ll have to wait and see."

The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place in London on 26 October.