‘He talks, then he does’ - Why there is ‘no one’ like Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal as former Golden Boy award winner assesses Ballon d’Or claims
Ballon d'Or contenders in 2026
The talented teenager finished second in that vote 12 months ago, as Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning forward Ousmane Dembele landed the top prize. Another European triumph with Ligue 1 heavyweights has the reigning champion seeking to defend his crown.
Said title is expected to be passed on, with Spanish superstars earning plenty of support on the back of their stunning triumph at FIFA’s flagship event. Rodri, who captured an iconic Golden Ball in 2024, is back in the running, while PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz has conquered Europe and the world.
Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane is the Ballon d’Or pick of many, after netting 73 goals across his outings for club and country last season, while Real Madrid ‘Galactico’ Kylian Mbappe has become a history-making goalscorer with France and on the World Cup stage.
Yamal intends to beat all of those mentioned above to ‘best player on the planet’ billing, having continued to deliver talismanic performances for Barca and Spain. He is still just 19 years of age, but has swept up just about every major honour available to him.
Yamal wants Golden Ball alongside Golden Boy prize
A Golden Ball would complete the set, having been named Golden Boy in 2024. Asked if any other youngster is close to Yamal’s level of performance, ex-Manchester United and Brazil star Anderson - who was selected as the best player under the age of 21 in 2008 - told GOAL while speaking in association with Wiz Slots: “He's different. There’s no one.
“You have to put him together with others a little bit. Mbappe, you have to put close to him. Dembele. Harry Kane is a different position, but he’s in the top five players at the moment. I think now he looks more fit, because he looks - at 19 to 20 - like he has a little bit more power, a little bit faster.
“And I like him because he talks, then he does. I like this kind of player. I'm going to win against France, I win again. I'm going to win the World Cup, I win. I'm going to win against Real Madrid, win. I like this kind of player, like his strong personality.
“I think he is doing amazing. I think he deserves to be the best player as well. It's going to be very hard to say who's the best player this year because a lot of boys have started to play amazing.”
Why Yamal considers himself to be the world's best
Yamal has said of being a Golden Ball contender: “Being completely honest, it’s not just this year I’ve been at a Ballon d’Or [winning] level, but longer. Everyone knows that; they know I am differential.
“I think people think: ‘Lamine is 19, he’ll win it at some point, so let’s say someone else…’ I just have to win, win, win, and there will be a time when there’s no debate. There will be people who love me, people who say: ‘What a pain in the a*** he is’, and that’s fine.”
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has added on Yamal’s remarkable potential: “If he was the only Spanish player nominated for the Ballon d'Or, I would say yes, he's the best in the world.
"He does everything well. If he's not the best, then it's because of competition from the other Spanish players, and even then, he's one of the best for sure. Lamine is on the path to becoming a legend.”
Yamal has already been compared with GOAT Messi
It is difficult to argue with De la Fuente’s assessment. Yamal has achieved more while still being in his teens than many players accomplish over the course of an entire career - with the promise of much more to come.
He has already drawn comparisons with Argentine GOAT and former Barcelona No.10 Lionel Messi, with those the kind of heights that the hottest of prospects is looking to scale. A Ballon d’Or to go alongside his Golden Boy and World Cup winners’ medal would move Yamal a step closer towards hitting that target.
