Lamine Yamal makes his Ballon d’Or choice clear and names Kylian Mbappé rival

FC Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal believes that he and Kylian Mbappé are the two best players in the world right now. The 19-year-old also made it clear who, in his opinion, should win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Yamal spoke about the award and his rivalry with the Real Madrid forward in a preview of the “Universo Valdano” programme on Movistar Plus Deportes. His answer was direct: he rates Mbappé highly, but sees himself as the more deserving winner.

Both players are on the shortlist

Yamal and Mbappé are among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The ceremony is scheduled for 26 October in London, so the Spanish winger’s statement adds another strong voice to a discussion that had already gained momentum after the shortlist was announced.

The full interview is due to be shown in “Universo Valdano”. For now, the released fragment has drawn attention because Yamal did not avoid the comparison with Mbappé. He put both players at the top of world football, then chose himself for the individual prize.