Ballon d'Or 2026: Lamine Yamal claims victory after Croatia

Lamine Yamal is already proclaiming his victory in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race. This comes notably after his brace against Croatia on Tuesday evening in the Nations League.

After delivering an outstanding performance against England (3-2) last Saturday, Lamine Yamal (19 years old, 35 caps and 10 goals) went one better on Tuesday with a brace and an assist to help Spain dominate Croatia (4-1) in the Nations League. The match came the day after voting closed. Asked about the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Lamine Yamal answered with complete sincerity.

Also read: Ballon d'Or 2026: PSG president names his favourites

"Is this match an additional argument in favour of my candidacy for the Ballon d'Or? One more. You know, I don't play only for this Ballon d'Or; I play for myself, for the supporters, for next season, for my national team, to keep winning. I don't know whether this performance brings me closer to the trophy; I'm not the one voting, I don't know who has won either, I know nothing. All that's left is to wait and keep playing," he said.

On October 26, in London, the overall winner will be known.

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.

Related teams and leagues

Barcelona