The language of blood and threats invades the Ballon d'Or.. Spanish journalist breaks his silence after receiving death threats
Spanish journalist Jose Felix Diaz has revealed that he received death threats after ranking Kylian Mbappe ahead of Lamine Yamal in his 2026 Ballon d'Or vote condemning the hostile reactions to his decision.
The editorial director of Spanish newspaper AS who represented Spain on the 100 member voting jury, disclosed the threats during an appearance on El Chiringuito, with details published on Monday 2 November.
According to the programme's official report, Diaz said the abuse had continued for several days and had also caused concern among people close to him.
Why did Jose Felix Diaz receive death threats?
The controversy began after France Football published the individual votes from the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony which saw Harry Kane win the award ahead of Mbappe and Yamal.
Diaz, Spain's designated voting journalist, placed the Real Madrid forward first and the Barcelona teenager second on his ballot.
His decision attracted criticism from people who believed a Spanish journalist should have supported Yamal, particularly following Spain's World Cup triumph.
However, Diaz insisted that the criticism had escalated far beyond a normal disagreement over football.
"I understand that there are differences of opinion" he explained, while condemning the verbal attacks and threats directed towards him.
The journalist also criticised certain media outlets for highlighting his nationality and presenting his decision as a failure to support Spanish football.
He argued that such coverage contributed to a hostile environment in which his professional judgment was being questioned on national rather than sporting grounds.
Death threats and complaints: Diaz condemns the abuse
Diaz acknowledged that some reactions had crossed acceptable boundaries.
"There have been death threats" he confirmed.
The journalist said the threats had circulated on social media and referred to complaints that had been made, although he expressed frustration over their lack of apparent consequences.
No independently confirmed police findings or identification of those responsible had been reported.
He also expressed disappointment with fellow journalists who, in his view, had encouraged hostility by portraying his vote as disloyal to Spain.
Diaz maintained that his decision was based entirely on footballing performances and not personal or national preferences.
He stressed that journalists should recognise the potential consequences of their public statements, particularly when addressing large audiences.
Why did Diaz prefer Mbappe to Lamine Yamal?
The Spanish journalist defended his decision by explaining that he considered Mbappe's overall performances superior during the assessment period.
He also rejected suggestions that he had ignored Spanish footballers.
In addition to ranking Yamal second, Diaz included four Spain internationals among his ten selections.
He also supported Spanish candidates in other Ballon d'Or award categories, including goalkeeper Unai SimĂłn and coaches Luis de la Fuente and Luis Enrique.
His explanation reflects the official voting system which asks journalists to assess individual performances, collective achievements and fair play rather than prioritise players from their own countries.
As Foot Africa previously reported, the first published Ballon d'Or ballots revealed substantial differences between individual journalists' selections.
Those differences are permitted under the competition's voting regulations and do not constitute evidence of bias or misconduct.
How did Lamine Yamal finish in the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
The controversy follows one of the closest Ballon d'Or contests in recent years.
According to France Football's official voting breakdown, Kane won with 1,055 points, finishing just 28 ahead of Mbappé.
Yamal placed third with 881 points while Spain teammate Rodri finished fourth with 726.
The voting figures have generated further debate about the relative importance of individual performances and collective success.
As Foot Africa examined in its analysis of Yamal and Rodri's competing candidacies, support for multiple players from the same national team may have affected the distribution of votes.
However, the final rankings were determined by the combined decisions of 100 journalists, not by any single ballot.
Even a different first place selection from Diaz would not, by itself, have changed the identity of the winner.
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