--- title: "“There are only two best in the world — me and Mbappé. This year — it’s me”: Lamine Yamal awards himself the 2026 Ballon d’Or" description: "In an interview with Universo Valdano, Lamine Yamal named himself and Kylian Mbappé the only contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and confidently declared that the award should go to him." date: 2026-09-14T09:20:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/yamal-named-himself-favourite-for-2026-ballon-dor tags: [lamine-yamal, ballon-dor, kylian-mbappe, barcelona, real-madrid, spain, world-cup-2026] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “There are only two best in the world — me and Mbappé. This year — it’s me”: Lamine Yamal awards himself the 2026 Ballon d’Or ![Lamine Yamal in Barcelona kit celebrates a goal, claiming his case for the 2026 Ballon d'Or](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/14/yamal-nazval-sebya-favoritom-zolotoy-myach-2026/yamal-nazval-sebya-favoritom-zolotoy-myach-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - In an interview with Universo Valdano, Lamine Yamal named himself and Kylian Mbappé the two best players in the world and declared that the 2026 Ballon d’Or should go to him. - Yamal leans on winning the World Cup with the Spain national team, the league title and Super Cup with Barcelona, as well as 24 goals and 18 assists for the season. - Mbappé, who has no team trophies but became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, is also claiming the award, citing his individual records. 19-year-old winger for Barcelona and the Spain national team, Lamine Yamal, made one of the boldest statements ahead of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony. In a fresh interview, the Spaniard, without a trace of modesty, assessed his own chances of winning football’s top individual award and named the only rival worthy of standing on the same level as him — Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé. According to Yamal, it is precisely these two who sit at the absolute peak of world football, and the trophy this season should go to him personally. ### Context: a brace against Valencia and the Universo Valdano interview The statement was made in an interview for the Universo Valdano project, which took place after Yamal’s brilliant performance with a brace against Valencia. The material is reported by [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/vsi-tse-znayut-mal-nazvav-edinogo-konkurenta-1789377464.html), citing the player’s own words. The Spaniard took advantage of a successful match to openly declare his ambitions, leaning on the combination of team and individual achievements over the past season. ### Yamal’s team trophies and individual numbers Yamal’s argument rests on an impressive set of awards: with the Spain national team he won the World Cup, and with Barcelona he claimed the league title and the Spanish Super Cup. On top of these team successes, the winger added 24 goals and 18 assists across all competitions. “Who would I give it to? The best player in the world. Honestly, as for the best player in the world, maybe there are two of us — me and Mbappé. And I think I deserve it this year because of what I have achieved. Yes, for me it is very obvious, and everyone who watches the matches knows it,” Yamal stated. ### Mbappé’s response: a bet on individual records Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé, in turn, is also actively claiming the award, betting on outstanding personal statistics. The Madrid side finished the season without team trophies, and the France national team lost to the Spaniards in the World Cup semi-final. Nevertheless, the Frenchman set new scoring records and became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. “I believe I can win it this year. It is one of my goals. People say I have not won a trophy, but this is an individual award... There has been no player better than me,” Mbappé emphasized, thereby highlighting a fundamental difference in argumentation: Yamal leans on team titles, while Mbappé relies on record-breaking individual numbers. ### The full list of 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees The full list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or was previously announced, with Yamal and Mbappé featured as the main favourites in the race. Their public showdown in interviews has already become one of the central stories of the pre-award campaign and sets the tone of the debate over what the judges will consider more decisive at the crucial moment: the Spaniard’s set of team trophies or the Frenchman’s record-breaking scoring figures. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Everyone knows this: Yamal named his only rival for the Ballon d’Or](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/vsi-tse-znayut-mal-nazvav-edinogo-konkurenta-1789377464.html) - Первичный источник по интервью для Universo Valdano; цитата Ямаля и контекст дубля против «Валенсии». - [Yamal: “Two are claiming the title of best footballer in the world — me and Mbappé. Everyone who ... knows it”](https://www.sport-express.net/football/spain/news/lamin-yamal-nazval-sebya-favoritom-na-zolotoy-myach-2026-2455024/) - Подтверждает суть заявления и формулировку о двух претендентах. - [“There are only two best in the world — me and Mbappé. This year — it’s me.” Yamal awards himself the Ballon d’Or](https://www.sports.ru/football/blogs/3490550.html) - Совпадает по цитате и посылу заявления. - [Yamal said who should win the Ballon d’Or this year](https://www.liveresult.ru/news/Futbol/345925-YAmal-rasskazal-kto-dolgen-vyigrat-Zolotoy-myach-v-etom-godu) - Дополнительное подтверждение факта заявления. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who did Lamine Yamal name as his only rival for the Ballon d’Or? **A:** Yamal named Kylian Mbappé, stating that it is precisely these two who sit at the peak of world football. ### Q: What achievements does Yamal rely on in his claim for the award? **A:** Winning the World Cup with the Spain national team, the league title and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, as well as 24 goals and 18 assists across all competitions. ### Q: What is Mbappé’s argumentation in the fight for the Ballon d’Or? **A:** Mbappé bets on individual statistics: he became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, despite Real Madrid having no team trophies and France losing in the World Cup semi-final.