Lamine Yamal makes fresh Ballon d’Or claim, says Mbappé is his direct rival

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has made a fresh statement about the Ballon d’Or race, highlighting his rivalry with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and insisting that individual brilliance should not be judged solely by goals or Champions League success.

In comments shared by football media outlets, Yamal said there is a direct rivalry between him and Mbappé because the Frenchman represents Real Madrid while he plays for Barcelona.

“Mbappé plays for Real Madrid and I play for Barça, so we have a direct rivalry,” Yamal said.

The teenage winger also pointed to the difference in their trophy hauls, saying he had beaten Mbappé in terms of trophies.

Yamal further argued that winning the Champions League does not automatically make an individual player the best in the world.

“Winning the Champions League means you are the best team. That doesn’t automatically mean you are the best player in the world,” he said.

The Barcelona star also rejected the idea that scoring a high number of goals alone should determine the Ballon d’Or winner.

“Scoring 80 goals doesn’t automatically make you the best player. That’s what the top scorer award is for,” Yamal said.

He added that, in his view, the best player in the world is the one who stands out from everyone else and makes football enjoyable to watch.

Yamal, who is only 19, has increasingly found himself at the centre of the Ballon d’Or conversation, with his performances for Barcelona and Spain placing him among the prominent contenders for the individual award.