Yamal had a worse World Cup — Real Madrid ace explains why Barcelona forward shouldn't win Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has intensified the Ballon d'Or debate by publicly declaring that his teammate Kylian Mbappé is the most deserving candidate for the prestigious award.

The Belgian shot-stopper delivered his assessment during a recent interview with DAZN, arguing that individual brilliance should outweigh collective trophies, directly targeting the credentials of Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal.

The comments arrive just days before Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in the highly anticipated El Clásico on Sunday, October 25.

Speaking to DAZN, Courtois insisted that Mbappé operated at an entirely different individual level compared to his peers throughout the campaign.

"Individually, no player was better than him this year, but sadly, we didn't win any trophies," Courtois explained, highlighting Real Madrid's barren 2025/26 season.

The goalkeeper then turned his attention to the international stage, drawing a direct comparison between the two primary award contenders.

"Lamine Yamal had a worse World Cup than Mbappé, but he won the title, and won the league," he noted.

Courtois' argument relies on the staggering individual numbers Mbappé produced at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite France failing to secure the ultimate prize, the forward completely dominated the tournament.

Mbappé captured the Golden Boot with an incredible 10 goals, officially surpassing Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history.

At the club level, the French captain was equally prolific, registering 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid last term. However, Yamal counters those individual statistics with a resume defined by collective success.

The 19-year-old winger played an instrumental role in guiding Spain to the 2026 World Cup title, whilst also securing the 2025/26 LALIGA crown with Barcelona.

Yamal has previously addressed the competitive race, acknowledging that the award should be a direct battle between himself and Mbappé, while confidently asserting that his historic double makes him the rightful winner.

The intense rivalry between the two LALIGA superstars dominates the narrative heading into the upcoming gala.

While players like Bayern Munich's Harry Kane remain strong contenders, the voting base is expected to split between Mbappé's individual dominance and Yamal's trophy haul.

The footballing world will finally discover the winner when the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, 2026.

With the winner crowned less than 24 hours after the final whistle of El Clásico, the ongoing war of words ensures the rivalry remains at a fever pitch.