‘I deserve the Ballon d’Or’ – Barcelona’s Yamal declares, days after vowing not to campaign

The 2026 Ballon d’Or race is already turning into a fascinating battle between Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé.

Yamal had previously insisted he would not campaign for the prize, but the teenage superstar has now made his position crystal clear: he believes he deserves to win it.

Speaking on El Mundo de Valdano, broadcast by Movistar after Barcelona's dominant 4-2 win over Levante, Yamal was asked who he would give the Ballon d’Or to and offered a typically confident answer.

"Who would I give the Ballon d'Or to?" Yamal said. "I honestly believe there are perhaps only two players who are the best in the world, but I deserve it this year."

The Barcelona star then identified Mbappé as his only real competition, making it clear that he considers himself the Frenchman's equal at the top of world football.

"For me, Kylian Mbappé and I are the best two players, and anyone who watches the matches knows that."

The declaration comes days after Yamal said he would not get involved in a public campaign for the individual award or beg for recognition.

However, Mbappé's own recent comments about his Ballon d’Or credentials appear to have changed the tone of the contest. The Frenchman argued that the prize is an individual award despite the importance of team success and insisted his performances this year give him a strong claim.

Both players have plenty of ammunition behind their claims after extraordinary campaigns, but they arrive at the Ballon d’Or from very different directions.

Yamal can point to Spain's World Cup triumph and Barcelona's La Liga title as major pieces of evidence. The 19-year-old also played a central role in a Barcelona side that continues to rely heavily on his creativity and attacking threat.

Mbappé, meanwhile, produced a spectacular scoring campaign at the World Cup, where he became the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

With both stars openly declaring their credentials, the Ballon d’Or race is quickly becoming a battle of performances, trophies and individual numbers. And after previously refusing to campaign for the prize, Yamal has now made one thing unmistakable: he believes the award belongs to him.