Ballon d'Or 2026: Joan Laporta very disappointed for Lamine Yamal

Disappointment is widespread in Spain after Lamine Yamal finished third in the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Although he was announced as one of the leading contenders for this 2026 edition, Lamine Yamal ultimately had to settle for third place, behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé. When the winner was announced, the Catalan genuinely looked disappointed, as the broadcast footage showed.

In the pages of Mundo Deportivo, the daily newspaper's director, Santi Nolla, made no secret of his bewilderment. The journalist openly questioned the choice of winner. He believes Lamine Yamal deserved to win the trophy and criticised a decision that prioritises statistics at the expense of the talent and impact of the Barcelona player.

Laporta deeply disappointed

Sport, meanwhile, lamented another Ballon d'Or lost after winning a World Cup. “I would have liked Lamine Yamal to win this title, because we were denied it in 2010 with Xavi and Iniesta, even though we had won the World Cup,” it read.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta also made no secret of his disappointment. “We believe that Lamine Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or for his individual talent and for the titles he has won. We would genuinely be saddened for him. We didn't know anything. They are very discreet and everything remained highly secret. We will support Lamine, all together, so that he can win this award next year,” he told Mundo Deportivo.

Read also: Ballon d'Or 2026: Kylian Mbappé heavily criticised after finishing second

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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