Lamine Yamal vs Mbappé: the numbers that could decide the 2026 Ballon d'Or | OneFootball

The Spaniard and the Frenchman emerge as two of the leading names in the race for the Ballon d'Or. Their statistics reveal very different profiles, and team trophies could carry decisive weight.

A period of evaluation with two main protagonists

The 2026 Ballon d'Or takes into account achievements earned between August 3, 2025 and July 19, 2026, the date on which the World Cup final was played. Therefore, the start of the current season already forms part of the evaluation for the 2027 edition.

During the period analyzed, Lamine Yamal played 57 matches, while Kylian Mbappé took part in 60. Both were key figures for their clubs and their respective national teams.

The difference appears mainly in the way each of them impacted matches.

Mbappé: goals and a decisive World Cup performance

Mbappé’s attacking numbers are emphatic. The French forward ended the evaluation period with 58 goals and 13 assists in 60 matches, practically a goal per game.

In addition, his performances at the World Cup carried significant weight in his statistics in the matches considered most demanding.

In matches classified as Class A, which include World Cup games, Champions League knockout matches, and LaLiga clashes against the five opponents considered strongest, Mbappé recorded 17 goals and six assists in 18 matches.

However, during that period neither Real Madrid nor France managed to win a title.

Lamine Yamal: fewer goals, more titles

Lamine Yamal presents a different statistical profile. The Spanish winger totaled 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 matches, but managed to turn his individual performances into team trophies.

During the period analyzed, he won LaLiga, where he was also named the tournament’s best player, the Spanish Super Cup, and his first World Cup.

In Class A matches, Lamine recorded nine goals and one assist in 18 matches, lower figures than Mbappé’s. However, the Spaniard’s teams won 14 of those matches and lost only two.

The Frenchman’s teams, by contrast, managed 12 wins and suffered five defeats in those same 18 matches.

Lamine dominates in one-on-one situations

The statistics also show differences in the style of both footballers.

Mbappé finished with 120 key passes and 133 chances created, while Lamine registered 111 key passes and 131 chances created.

Where the Spaniard makes a much bigger difference is in dribbling. Lamine completed 559 dribbles, well above Mbappé’s 327 and the highest figure among players in Europe.

That style also involves a higher number of lost possessions: Lamine recorded 1,181, compared with Mbappé’s 699.

In the remaining matches, the picture changes

When analyzing matches that do not belong to the Class A category, the scoring difference favors the French forward even more.

Mbappé produced 41 goals and seven assists, while Lamine scored 16 goals but provided 19 assists.

In this group, both players had exactly the same collective record: 31 wins.

The Ballon d'Or awaits in London

The numbers show two candidacies built along different paths. Mbappé offers greater goalscoring output and a particularly standout impact in the highest-demand matches, while Lamine combines creativity and one-on-one threat with a collection of team trophies.

The decision will be in the hands of the journalists who take part in the Ballon d'Or vote, whose winner will be announced on October 26 in London.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.