Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal has directly challenged Kylian Mbappe in the race to win the Ballon d’Or. Responding to the confident remarks made by the French forward, Yamal said that considering last season’s success, the award is rightfully his.
In an interview with Movistar Plus, Yamal said: “In my view, Mbappe and I are the two best players in the world right now. I genuinely believe both of us are among the world’s best footballers. But given the trophies I won this year, the Ballon d’Or is rightfully mine.”
Yamal scored 24 goals and provided 17 assists in 45 matches for Barcelona last season. His performances helped the Catalan club win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. For Spain, he scored one goal and provided three assists in 12 matches, and was also a member of the World Cup-winning squad.
However, Bayern Munich’s English striker Harry Kane is being seen as the frontrunner for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Combining club and country, he scored 73 goals and provided eight assists in 65 matches last season. Alongside helping Bayern win the Bundesliga and German Cup, Kane also played an important role in guiding England to the World Cup semi-final.
This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on October 26 in London. Since 2019, the event had regularly been held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.