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Ballond’Or: Hansi Flick and Spain coach back Lamine Yamal to win coveted award
11th September, 2026 11:52 AM
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been backed to clinch the coveted 2026 Ballon d’Or, set to be announced on October 26, 2026.
The recipient of the football’s most coveted individual accolade for the 2026 year will see big-name stars contest the award after a breathtaking year of club and national team football with the 2026 Summer World Cup in North America.
With a World Cup victory and domestic success with Barcelona bolstering Yamal’s case, his coaches at both club and international levels believe he is the ideal candidate for the award.
Deserved choice
Speaking to journalists after Yamal delivered a goal and two assists in a match against Feyenoord, pushing his record to 23 Champions League goal contributions, the most ever by a teenager in the competition, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said the young star is a deserved choice.
“He deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. For me, he is an outstanding player. You can see in every game that he is special, no one is like him, and I feel he deserves it,” the German said.
Meanwhile, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente also made a strong case for the 19-year-old’s Ballon d’Or push, attributing his support to Yamal’s exceptional football acumen and prowess.
“I always back domestic talent, the ‘Brand Spain’; we are world-class in terms of development, performance, and quality. Off the top of my head, I would say Mikel Oyarzabal is missing from the nominees list—whoever had to write down the names must have dropped the paper on the floor and left him out.” Luis said, as quoted by Goal.
2026 Ballon d’Or favourites
Assessing Yamal’s trajectory, he added: “I think Lamine Yamal can win the Ballon d’Or because he is Spanish and an incredible footballer. If it’s not this year, it will be in the future; I don’t think it will take him too long to win it. I see him doing very well at the start of this season, and we want to enjoy him for many years to come.”
The Spaniard faces stiff competition from Kylian Mbappé, who enjoyed a standout World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer, and Harry Kane, a clear favourite after the prolific 32-year-old striker plundered in 73 goals last season to claim Europe’s Golden Shoe.
The 70th edition of the prestigious award will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.
