Lamine Yamal has defended Ballon d’Or rival Kylian Mbappe after both stars faced criticism for publicly discussing why they deserve football’s biggest individual award.

Yamal Surprisingly Defends Mbappe Despite Their Ballon d’Or Rivalry

Lamine Yamal has surprisingly come to the defence of Kylian Mbappe despite competing directly with the Real Madrid superstar for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Both players have spoken openly about their ambition to win football’s biggest individual prize.

Those comments have created plenty of debate.

But Yamal believes the criticism is unfair.

Instead of attacking his biggest rival, the 19-year-old has defended both himself and Mbappe for answering questions honestly.

Yamal defends Mbappe

Speaking to TVE, Yamal addressed the criticism surrounding the Ballon d’Or debate.

He suggested that players are placed in an impossible position.

Yamal said:

“If Mbappe and I didn’t talk, people would ask why we weren’t talking.”

He added:

“People ask us to be honest, but when we are honest, they criticise us.”

Yamal also made clear that he does not regret expressing his opinion publicly.

Both stars have faced criticism

Mbappe and Yamal have both openly discussed their chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.

Mbappe has repeatedly spoken about his confidence after another huge individual season.

Yamal has been equally clear about his own position.

He believes he has done enough to deserve the award this year.

However, some critics believe candidates should allow their performances to speak instead of publicly campaigning for the trophy.

Former Ballon d’Or chief issues warning

The debate became even bigger after former Ballon d’Or chief Pascal Ferre discussed the communication strategies around leading candidates.

Ferre warned that too much self-promotion could create the wrong impression.

He suggested voters could become irritated if they feel they are being pushed towards a particular decision.

His comments were widely linked with Mbappe and Yamal.

Yamal refuses to change

Despite the criticism, Yamal does not plan to become less outspoken.

The Barcelona winger believes footballers are often asked to be honest but then criticised when they say what they really think.

Yamal says he does not want to pretend to think something different simply to avoid controversy.

Yamal still wants the Ballon d’Or

Defending Mbappe does not mean Yamal is stepping away from their rivalry.

The Spain international remains extremely confident about his own chances.

In a recent interview with Universo Valdano, he was asked who he believes are currently the best players in world football.

His answer was clear.

“Mbappe and I are the best players in the world.”

But when discussing who deserves this year’s award, Yamal backed himself.

Yamal believes he has beaten Mbappe

Yamal has previously been even more direct when comparing himself with the France captain.

He acknowledged Mbappe’s goalscoring numbers but argued that the Ballon d’Or should not simply reward the player with the most goals.

Speaking about their battle, Yamal said:

“I have beaten him in everything.”

For the Barcelona star, the Ballon d’Or should answer a bigger question.

Who is actually the best footballer in the world?

Yamal explains what makes him different

Yamal also explained why he believes his style deserves recognition.

The Barcelona forward argued that there are very few players in European football who play the game the way he does.

He believes the best players should not only produce goals and statistics, but also entertain supporters.

That is also one reason Neymar remains one of his football idols.

World Cup success strengthens his case

Yamal believes his chances have also improved because of Spain’s World Cup success.

He admitted that missing out on the Champions League previously hurt his case.

But Spain’s major international success has now given him another important argument in the Ballon d’Or race.

Still, Yamal knows the final decision belongs to the journalists who vote.

Rivalry without personal hostility

Yamal wants to beat Mbappe.

He believes he deserves the Ballon d’Or ahead of him.

But he does not believe Mbappe should be attacked simply for saying he wants to win.

Rather than using the criticism against his rival, Yamal has placed himself alongside Mbappe and defended both of them.

That makes his latest comments particularly interesting in such a competitive Ballon d’Or battle.

Yamal is not backing Mbappe to win

There is one important distinction.

Yamal is defending Mbappe’s right to speak honestly about the award.

He is not saying Mbappe should win it.

Yamal still believes he himself deserves the Ballon d’Or this year.

His message is simply that ambition and confidence should not automatically be treated as arrogance.

The Ballon d’Or rivalry continues

The competition between Yamal and Mbappe is unlikely to disappear soon.

They are two of the biggest stars in world football and both clearly want the same prize.

But Yamal’s latest comments show that the battle does not have to become personal.

He may want to defeat Mbappe for the Ballon d’Or, but when his rival came under criticism for openly discussing the award, Yamal chose to defend him.

For now, both stars have made their positions clear.

They believe they belong at the very top of world football.