Lamine Yamal backs World Cup glory to seal Ballon d'Or

The Barcelona winger was named La Liga's best player for the 2025-26 season after playing a key role in the Catalan club's successful title defence.

Yamal then helped Spain lift the World Cup in North America, strengthening his case for the game's biggest individual prize.

The 19-year-old believes those achievements should give him the edge over Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.

"I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I'd deserve it because of what I've won," Yamal said in an interview clip shared by Movistar.

"As far as I'm concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It's clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it."

Mbappe enjoyed an outstanding individual season, finishing as the leading scorer at the World Cup as well as in La Liga and the Champions League.

The France international also recently claimed that no player had performed better than him during the campaign, although he ended the season without a major trophy.

Yamal finished second in last year's Ballon d'Or voting behind Ousmane Dembele, while Mbappe finished third in 2023 when Lionel Messi won the award for a record eighth time.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or will be presented in London on October 26, with Yamal confident his trophy haul has given him a strong claim to take the prize.

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