"Shocking behind-the-scenes details": Spanish journalist receives death threats over his vote against Yamal

With Mbappé being favoured over him

José Félix Díaz, director of the Spanish newspaper "AS", has revealed that he received death threats and faced a campaign of abuse and incitement over his choices in the voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. He had favoured France's Kylian Mbappé over Spain's Lamine Yamal in the race for the award.

Speaking on the television programme "El Chiringuito", Díaz laid out the details of the crisis. The reactions to his vote, he explained, went beyond the limits of sporting disagreement and reached threats and harassment that touched people close to him, leaving him fearful for those around him.

The Spanish journalist said he accepts differing points of view on his choices. What he rejects is turning sporting competition into a justification for attacks and threats, and he criticised those who tie patriotism to a compulsory vote for the player who shares their nationality.

He never expected the scale of the escalation. Díaz noted that he faced attempts to tarnish his image and incite against him, despite the fact that his list included four players from the Spanish national team, with Mbappé coming first and Lamine Yamal second.

By his own technical assessment, the overall level Mbappé delivered was better than Yamal's performance. The "AS" director stressed that voting for the Ballon d'Or comes down to the journalist's conviction and his evaluation of the players' levels. No rule obliges him to hand his vote to one of his compatriots.

In closing, Díaz revealed that he had received death threats and insisted he pays them no attention, even as the stances of some of his colleagues left him disappointed. He remains proud of his profession and his place on the Ballon d'Or jury, and he would not hesitate to choose the same professional path again.