"Kane the perfect professional": scathing English criticism of the "narcissistic" behaviour of Yamal and Ronaldo
Lamine Yamal found himself under fierce attack from Daily Mail journalist Oliver Holt, who drew a moral comparison between the Barcelona star and England captain Harry Kane, crowned with the Ballon d'Or for 2026.
Kane claimed the award on Monday at a ceremony in London. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé came second, with Yamal third.
Holt dredged up the controversy that swirled around Yamal's 18th birthday party, setting the young Spaniard's handling of fame against a Kane career he described as calm and modest.
Yamal's statement sparks criticism
Before the vote on the award, Yamal said: "I honestly believe that the two of us are the best in the world, and that I deserved it this year because I won titles." He was talking about himself and Kylian Mbappé (27). Kane did not figure in his calculations.
According to the German newspaper Bild, Holt sees that statement as a symptom of something troubling in the game: a celebrity culture that pushes players to make themselves the centre of attention.
The British journalist wrote: "On Monday evening we saw that football is capable of handing its highest awards to men like Kane. Men who did not seek the spotlight, did not stir up controversy, did not misuse their fame, and did not hire people of short stature to decorate their eighteenth birthday party, as Yamal is alleged to have done, but rather dedicated themselves to a career of quiet excellence."
The birthday party affair continues to haunt Yamal
All this stems from Yamal's eighteenth birthday party, which the player hosted amid claims that he brought in people of short stature and paid them to attend.
At the time, the Spanish Association for People with Dwarfism (ASDD) announced it intended to take legal action.
Cristiano Ronaldo enters the circle of criticism
Ronaldo didn't escape Holt's criticism either. He described Kane as "not a brash narcissist like Ronaldo", but rather "reserved and humble", and labelled him "the perfect professional".
Yamal, though, didn't leave the ceremony empty-handed. He won the Kopa Trophy for a third time as the season's best young player.
