Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal says he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best footballers in the world, and believes his trophy-laden year has earned him the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
“For me, Mbappe and me, we’re the two best players in the world,” the 19-year-old said in an interview with Movistar Plus, excerpts of which were published on Sunday.
“I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I’ve won,” he added.
Yamal helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title before becoming a World Cup winner with Spain this summer, strengthening his case for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
Days earlier, at a press conference, he had struck a more measured tone, saying he believed he had a chance after an “incredible” season but would not campaign for votes.
Mbappe And Other Rivals In The Race
Mbappe, the France captain, has also made his own case for the award in recent days. He finished as top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup this year, although his club, Real Madrid, failed to win a major trophy in the same period.
Yamal’s Barcelona and Spain teammate, Ousmane Dembele, last year’s winner, believes the award should stay with a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player after the French club retained the Champions League.
Bayern Munich striker and England international Harry Kane is also among the favourites. The Ballon d’Or, awarded annually by France Football magazine, will be presented in London on October 26.
Kylian Mbappé, the French international football star still in negotiations with PSG
Yamal has said he has no plans to slow down despite the trophies and records already on his resume at a young age. Speaking to Movistar, he rejected the idea that early success could make him relax later in his career.
“There are great players like Messi, Cristiano and Maradona… but I think it’s never happened before that someone has won so much at such an early age,” Yamal said. “There was Pele, but in recent times… never, I think,” he added.
A Trophy Case Built By Age 19
Yamal has already won three La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona. With Spain, he won the 2024 European Championship and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making him the youngest player to win both major international tournaments.
His first major international triumph came at Euro 2024, when he became the youngest player ever to feature at a European Championship and helped Spain beat England in the final, aged 16 years and 338 days.
He added the 2026 World Cup this year, and Barcelona’s official records list him as the youngest player to have won both tournaments.
At club level, Yamal was part of Barcelona’s domestic treble in the 2024–25 season before helping the club retain the league title and win another Spanish Super Cup in 2025–26.
The campaign that also earned him La Liga's Player of the Season award. He has also won the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world’s best young player, twice — becoming the first two-time winner.
Despite the honours, Yamal insists his hunger has not faded.
“People have this mindset that because I’ve won, maybe I’ll relax with my career at some point: no,” he said. “I know I have a thousand things to do to stay in football history,” he added, making clear his current trophy collection is not where his ambitions end.
