Lamine Yamal fully embraces his ambitions for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. In an interview given to L'Équipe, the FC Barcelona forward believes that his candidacy rests as much on his influence on the game as on the results achieved with Barça and Spain.
'I think everyone who watches football knows what my arguments are. I go onto the pitch, I enjoy myself, I play well and the way I want to play,' explains the Spaniard.
A 2025-2026 season packed with statistics
While Yamal prefers to talk about his style of play, the numbers from his 2025-2026 season remain a major argument. With FC Barcelona, he played 43 matches across all competitions, scoring 24 goals, including 16 in La Liga and 6 in the Champions League. With Spain, he took part in 12 matches and scored one goal, notably during the 2026 World Cup.
To these statistics is added a substantial trophy haul:
- La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup with Barça
- 2026 World Cup with Spain
- Best La Liga player for the 2025-2026 season
'The best player always makes his team win'
It is precisely on this collective dimension that Yamal builds part of his case.
'The best player always makes his team win,' he states.
The Barcelona player also recalls the momentum of Spain and Barça: 'With the national team, we've been winning for a year. With Barça, we're winning too.'
His argument, then, does not consist of pitting style of play against statistics. His past season offers him precisely both: high offensive output, performances in major competitions and several major trophies.
A case built on the previous season
The 2026-2027 season has barely begun, and his 7 goals in 7 La Liga matchdays already illustrate his current form. But for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Yamal's real case remains that of the previous season, the one that ended with Spain's world title.
Yamal knows it: his best argument is not just what he does with the ball. It is the entire case he has built over the 2025-2026 season — statistics, trophies, a World Cup and a playing identity that, in his view, sets him apart.
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