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The Independent

14 September 2026

The Independent

14 September 2026

Lamine Yamal feels that Spain’s World Cup triumph and his La Liga title-winning campaign with Barcelona should put him ahead of Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe in the contest for the Ballon d'Or.

France forward Mbappe, who ended last season as the leading scorer in the World Cup, La Liga and the Champions League, said last week that no player had been better than him during the campaign, even though he did not win any trophies.

Yamal was named La Liga’s best player for 2025-26 as Barcelona successfully defended the league crown, before going on to play a decisive role in Spain lifting the World Cup across North America.

"I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it because of what I’ve won," Yamal said in an interview clip released by Movistar on Sunday.

Yamal has named Mbappe as his only rival for the Ballon d'Or.

"As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it."

Yamal finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain and France attacker Ousmane Dembele last year, while Mbappe was third in 2023 when Lionel Messi collected the award for a record eighth time.

The 30-man shortlist for this year’s prize was published last week, and Yamal, Mbappe and Dembele were all included.

However, England captain Harry Kane is widely viewed as the favourite for the Ballon d’Or this year after netting an extraordinary 73 goals for club and country last season.

Harry Kane is considered by many to be the favourite for the Ballon d'Or.

Kane won the Bundesliga and the German Cup with Bayern Munich, but his side were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Dembele’s Paris Saint-Germain.

He also failed to guide England to World Cup glory, with the Three Lions losing 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals, although they recovered to defeat France 6-4 in the third-place play-off.

Speaking to TNT Sports last week about his Ballon d’Or chances, Kane said: "Of course, now it is out of my hands, it is down to the voters and the people who decide it. The season I had was my best season by far and we’ll have to wait and see."

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London on 26 October.