Lamine Yamal names Mbappé his only rival in the Ballon d’Or race
Barcelona’s Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal said he considers Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé his only rival in the race for the Ballon d’Or. As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, Yamal believes that the trophies he has won give him an advantage in the contest for the award.
Yamal’s arguments
The footballer referred to Spain’s victory at the World Cup in North America and Barcelona’s defense of the Spanish championship title. Yamal was also named the best player in La Liga for the 2025–26 season.
According to Yamal, he and Mbappé are the two best footballers in the world. The Barcelona player said he deserves the award this year because of his victories.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Mbappé’s achievements
Mbappé became the top scorer at the World Cup, in La Liga and in the Champions League. Last week, the Frenchman said that no one had been better than him in the previous season, although he himself did not win any trophies.
Last year, Yamal finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting, losing to Ousmane Dembélé. Mbappé was third in 2023, when Lionel Messi won the award for the eighth time. The Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London.
