Lamine Yamal has praised Kylian Mbappé as one of the best players in the world, but the Barcelona star believes his trophies give him the stronger case for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Lamine Yamal explains why he deserves Ballon d’Or over Kylian Mbappé
Lamine Yamal has made his position clear in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race after naming Kylian Mbappé as his biggest rival but still choosing himself as the player who deserves the award.
The Barcelona star spoke about the battle during his interview with Jorge Valdano for Movistar+.
Yamal did not try to reduce Mbappé’s achievements.
Instead, he described the Real Madrid forward as one of the two best players in the world.
But when asked who deserves the Ballon d’Or, Yamal believes his own case is stronger.
Yamal puts himself alongside Mbappé
Yamal was extremely confident when discussing the best players in football right now.
He said that he and Mbappé are currently the two best players in the world.
That statement shows how highly the 19-year-old rates the France captain.
Mbappé has enjoyed an outstanding individual year and has produced huge numbers for both Real Madrid and France.
But Yamal does not believe those numbers are enough to put Mbappé ahead of him in the Ballon d’Or race.
Why Yamal believes he deserves the Ballon d’Or
Yamal’s main argument is simple.
He believes the trophies he has won should make the difference.
The Barcelona winger has enjoyed major success with both club and country.
He helped Barcelona win La Liga and was also part of the Spain team that won the 2026 World Cup.
For Yamal, those team achievements are a major part of why he believes he deserves the Ballon d’Or.
His message was clear: Mbappé may have incredible individual numbers, but Yamal has combined individual quality with major trophies.
World Cup success gives Yamal a huge advantage
The biggest trophy in Yamal’s case is the World Cup.
Spain became world champions in 2026, giving Yamal a major achievement that Mbappé could not match this year.
France were eliminated before the final, while Spain went on to lift the trophy.
Interestingly, Yamal admitted he was not completely happy with his own World Cup performances.
He said he felt he could have done more.
However, he also explained that his role was not only about goals and assists.
Yamal believes his movement, ability to attract defenders and work for the team also helped Spain create space in important matches.
La Liga title strengthens his case
Yamal also enjoyed another successful season with Barcelona.
Barcelona won La Liga, while Yamal was recognised as one of the competition’s best performers.
That gives him another major trophy to add to his Ballon d’Or case.
For Yamal, the combination of success with Barcelona and Spain is what separates him from Mbappé.
He believes the Ballon d’Or should reward not only individual numbers, but also the impact a player has on winning major trophies.
Mbappé has a very different argument
Mbappé’s case is based more heavily on individual performance.
The Real Madrid star produced another incredible scoring season.
He scored 25 La Liga goals and 15 times in the Champions League.
Mbappé also finished as the World Cup’s top scorer and continued to break major international records.
He has already publicly argued that no player performed better than him during the season.
But his biggest weakness in the Ballon d’Or debate is clear.
He did not win a major team trophy.
Two stars, two different Ballon d’Or arguments
The battle between Yamal and Mbappé is therefore becoming very easy to understand.
Mbappé’s case is built around goals, statistics and individual dominance.
Yamal’s case is built around individual quality combined with trophies.
Mbappé can point to his scoring numbers.
Yamal can point to a World Cup and a La Liga title.
Both believe they have done enough to win.
And both have now publicly explained why.
Yamal does not disrespect Mbappé
There is one important point about Yamal’s comments.
He did not say Mbappé does not deserve the Ballon d’Or.
In fact, he gave the Frenchman major praise by placing him among the two best players in the world.
Yamal simply believes that when everything is considered, his own achievements give him the stronger case.
That makes his statement confident, but not disrespectful.
Confidence from a 19-year-old superstar
Yamal’s words are also another example of the confidence he has shown in recent interviews.
At only 19, he is already comfortable discussing himself alongside the biggest players in world football.
He believes he is one of the best players in the world and he believes he deserves football’s biggest individual award.
Some fans may see that as extreme confidence.
Others may believe his achievements already justify it.
The Ballon d’Or battle is getting hotter
The 2026 Ballon d’Or race now has two very different leading arguments.
Mbappé believes his individual performances put him above everyone else.
Yamal believes his trophies should make the difference.
And after openly naming Mbappé as his main rival, the Barcelona star has made it clear that he still expects to come out on top.
For Yamal, the reason is simple.
He has won major trophies.
He has performed at the highest level.
And in his own view, that is enough to make him the most deserving player for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
