ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Lamine Yamal claims he and Kylian Mbappé are the world's best players but insists he deserves the Ballon d'Or this year.
- Yamal scored a brace in Barcelona's 4-2 win over Levante, taking his season tally to seven goals in six matches.
- Despite winning LaLiga and the World Cup with Spain, Yamal says he could have performed better at the tournament.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Lamine Yamal’s claim that he and Mbappé are the world’s best two players is backed by his start to the season: seven goals in six matches, including a brace against Levante, and his role in Barcelona’s flawless LaLiga opening. His confidence is not empty boasting; it is rooted in tangible output and a World Cup winner’s medal.
Yet his Ballon d’Or case hinges on more than club form. He admits he could have done more at the World Cup despite scoring and playing every minute, suggesting his self-assessment is tempered by a drive to improve. That tension between self-belief and self-criticism defines his argument.
The race will be decided by voters weighing his seven-goal start against Mbappé’s Real Madrid impact and Kane’s Premier League consistency. The next concrete test is how Yamal performs in El Clásico next month, a game that could swing perceptions ahead of the October 26 ceremony.
WHY IT MATTERS
Yamal's assertion challenges the Ballon d'Or narrative by positioning himself above Mbappé despite shared acclaim, intensifying the individual award race and highlighting generational talent claims in modern football.
Lamine Yamal
RW
Spain
Strengths
- ✓Elite dribbling in tight spaces
- ✓High-volume goal threat from wide positions
- ✓Tactical intelligence to drag defenders and create space
- ⚠Can Yamal maintain this goal rate against top-tier Champions League defenses?
- ⚠Will his self-criticism about World Cup performance affect his confidence in high-pressure moments?
TACTICAL FIT
Yamal's goal-scoring consistency and ability to draw multiple defenders create space for Barcelona's attacking structure, allowing Hansi Flick to deploy him as a central focal point in wide and central roles.
THE DEBATE
Does winning LaLiga and the World Cup automatically make Yamal the Ballon d'Or favorite over Mbappé?
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Barcelona cruises past Levante (0:48)
Sam Marsden Sep 14, 2026, 04:28 AM ET
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Barcelona's Lamine Yamal has said that he and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé are the best players in the world, but it's him that deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
Yamal, 19, continued his fine start to the season with a brace in Barça's 4-2 win over Levante on Sunday, taking his goal tally for the campaign to seven in just six matches.
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He hopes it will strengthen his case to be named the best player in the world this past year after helping Barça win LaLiga and Spain win the World Cup.
The Ballon d'Or -- the most coveted individual prize in the game -- will be awarded at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26, with Yamal and Mbappé both in the running alongside the likes of Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembélé in an extremely open field.
"I would give it to the best player in the world," Yamal said in an interview with Movistar which will be aired later this week. "Who are they going to give it to? That's a very long conversation in itself. I honestly believe that there are maybe two of us who are the best in the world.
"And I think I deserve it this year because of what I've won. For me, Mbappé and I are the best in the world. It is clear to me. Everyone who watches the matches knows it."
Yamal has started the campaign in fine form, netting seven goals as Barça have won all five of their opening LaLiga games in addition to their Champions League curtain-raiser against Feyenoord.
However, despite touting himself as the best in the world, he feels he could have done even more at the World Cup this summer in North America.
Lamine Yamal won LaLiga with Barcelona last season and the World Cup with Spain in the summer.Getty Images
After returning from a hamstring injury, Yamal featured in all eight of Spain's games as they won the competition for a second time, scoring one goal.
"After winning the World Cup, I wasn't happy," he added. "Obviously, I went into the tournament with an injury, but that has nothing to do with it.
"I would have performed as well without the injury. That said, I did a lot of things that people didn't see. For example, I think it's incredible for a coach to have a player who can drag three opponents along with him.
"But I wasn't happy with my own performance. I know another player performing at my level would have had a great World Cup, but for me, I could have done more. I did help the team, but I can't wait for the next [World Cup] to arrive."
Yamal's latest comments contrast with his remarks last week, when he said in a news conference that he would not "beg" to win the Ballon d'Or.
He was speaking after Madrid's Mbappé made his case to win the Ballon d'Or as the race to be named the best player in the world heats up ahead of October's ceremony.
AI-assisted · generated from ESPN FC reporting, not editor reviewed
