Yamal: Ballon d'Or Should Reward Excitement, Not Goal Totals
The short version
- Lamine Yamal, 19, says the Ballon d'Or should reward the player who excites fans most, not goal statistics
- The 2026 award will be announced next month in London at a 70-year anniversary ceremony
- Yamal was runner-up last year and could become the youngest-ever winner after La Liga and World Cup titles
- Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are also considered frontrunners
The Barcelona and Spain winger, 19, argues the prize belongs to the player fans most want to watch as he chases a historic 2026 win.
Lamine Yamal believes the Ballon d'Or ought to go to the player who thrills spectators rather than the one with the biggest goal tally. Speaking to France Football, the 19-year-old said the honor recognizes a special kind of talent — someone supporters watch a match just to see.
"When I think about the Ballon d'Or, I think of Messi, Ronaldinho, players like that, who are different, who bring a smile when you watch them play," Yamal said. He added that the award, in his view, has nothing to do with how many goals a player scores.
Yamal is a leading candidate for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, which will be presented next month at a 70-year anniversary ceremony in London. A winner this year would make him the youngest ever to claim the prize, after he finished second in last year's voting.
His case rests on a La Liga title with Barcelona and a World Cup triumph with Spain. "Everyone who watches football knows what my arguments are," he told L'Equipe, noting he has won major trophies at club level and the biggest prize of all with his national team.
Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are also viewed as frontrunners following high-scoring seasons for club and country.
