Lamine Yamal puts Mbappé on his level and reignites Ballon d'Or race

Lamine Yamal has publicly recognized Kylian Mbappé as one of the two best players in the world, while claiming the Ballon d’Or for himself, six weeks before a ceremony that promises to be hotly contested.

When asked by Movistar+, the FC Barcelona number 10 justified his candidacy with his season’s titles: La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. “Who would I give the Ballon d’Or to? The best player in the world. I genuinely believe I would deserve it this year, for what I’ve won,” he stated. However, he refused to place himself alone at the top: “In my opinion, Mbappé and I are the two best players in the world. It’s very clear, and everyone who watches the matches knows it.”

These statements contrast with a more detached comment made at a press conference a few days earlier, when the Barcelona player said he did not want to “beg for anything” and left it to journalists to debate the trophy.

On Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid’s side, the campaign is being openly pursued. The French striker cited his historic summer at the World Cup to legitimize his ambitions: “I have the feeling that maybe this is the right year to win it.” A stance that contrasts with that of Ousmane Dembélé, the defending champion, who refuses to campaign for himself and merely indicates that the trophy should go to a PSG player.

The configuration is therefore unprecedented: Mbappé, despite a season devoid of collective club trophies, relies on his international performances to fuel his candidacy, while Yamal is banking on a La Liga-World Cup double to strengthen his. The verdict will be delivered in six weeks.