I should have won Ballon d’Or before now — Lamine Yamal

The Spain superstar believes he was deserving of the award last year, and is confident of claiming the honour this time around.

Speaking to The Guardian, the Barcelona winger said:

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s just this year that I’ve been at the level to win the Ballon d’Or… but it’s been for a longer time.”

Yamal, 19, believes his consistent ability to influence matches is widely recognised, even if his age sometimes works against him in the voting.

“Everybody knows it, and they know I’m a player who makes a difference. I believe some people think: Lamine is 19… he’ll win Ballon d’Or someday, so let’s give it to someone else.”

Rather than campaign for votes, the World Cup winner says his focus remains on continuing to deliver trophies until the debate becomes impossible to ignore.

“I just have to win, win, and win, and there’ll come a moment when there won’t be any debate. There will be people who love it and others who say: he’s so annoying… and that’s normal.”

Yamal’s comments come amid an open race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London.

Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are the other strong contenders, with no real favourite emerging.

After helping Barcelona retain La Liga and Spain lift the World Cup, the teenager continues to force the conversation about when the biggest individual honour in football, something he is determined to win.