Lamine Yamal’s dream of catching Messi in the Ballon d’Or rankings

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·28 September 2026

Lamine Yamal’s dream of catching Messi in the Ballon d’Or rankings

The Barcelona footballer spoke about his individual ambitions after a World Cup in which Spain once again won the title and after a spectacular start to the season.

Lamine Yamal is not hiding his ambition. The Spanish player gave an interview to L’Équipe ahead of the next Ballon d’Or ceremony and admitted that he wants to win the award. The Barcelona forward is in the final stretch of the voting after becoming world champion with Spain and starting the new season once again as one of the standout figures in European football.

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The young attacker also spoke about his second-place finish in the previous edition, in which Ousmane Dembélé ended up taking the prize. For Yamal, the award should recognize the best footballer and not depend exclusively on who wins the Champions League or who scores the most goals. His reflection comes as he is once again among the main candidates after a World Cup in which he played a key role.

His start to the season with Barcelona further strengthens that candidacy. Yamal has seven goals in LaLiga and leads various attacking statistics, including assists, alongside Anthony Gordon. The player himself said that he wants to make history and be remembered by his own name, without comparing himself to Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or other legends.

MAIN STATEMENTS FROM LAMINE YAMAL ABOUT THE BALLON D’OR

About why he believes he can win it: “This year I would deserve it for what I’ve won. For me, Mbappé and I are the two best in the world”
About his main argument: “My way of playing is my strongest argument, what makes me different”
About what the Ballon d’Or should reward: “The Ballon d’Or should go to the different player, the one you want to watch, the one who has that magic, who makes you smile”
About goals and statistics: “It’s not about the number of goals you score, or other things”
About having won the World Cup: “I’ve won the World Cup and that gives me an extra edge”
About if he ultimately does not win it: “If I don’t win the Ballon d’Or, then next year I have to win it. And if I do win it, I want five more”

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