On Friday, Movistar+ aired the full podcast "Universo Valdano" featuring Yamal, in which he discussed his thoughts on the Ballon d'Or, his expectations for the Champions League, and his objectives, among other topics.

Tell me what you think about the Ballon d'Or.

"If it were up to me, I would give the award to the best player in the world. As for who will ultimately win it? That's a long story... Frankly, I think there are only two exceptional players in football today, and with the honours I've received this year, I believe I deserve this trophy. In my opinion, Mbappé and I are the two strongest in the world."

"The criteria for judging the Ballon d'Or have changed. In the Messi and Ronaldo era, everyone knew they were the two best players in world football, and the Ballon d'Or essentially rotated between them. The problem now is that many people use evaluation metrics that don't belong in the Ballon d'Or. For example, some say the Ballon d'Or should go to a Paris Saint-Germain player simply because they won the Champions League."

"Winning the Champions League is an honour for Paris; it's the trophy for the best team, and that's the reward Paris should receive. Whether Paris has the world's best player is another matter entirely."

"In my view, the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to the best player in the world, nothing more. It's not for someone who scores 80 goals; if you score 80 goals, you should receive the award for best goalscorer of the season. These are two completely different things, but many people don't understand that."

"What is the best player in the world? It's someone you, as a commentator, genuinely admire when watching a match—someone whose performance is on a completely different level from everyone else's. Only by returning to this fundamental criterion—selecting the truly strongest person, not the one with the most goals or honours—can the Ballon d'Or regain its original weight."

What are your future goals?

"People might think that because I've already won a World Cup, two league titles, and a Copa del Rey, I wouldn't want to aim for three World Cups and five Champions League titles. I can assure you that ambition is my most abundant trait. The moment I won the World Cup, I was already eager to win the next one. I live for football, and the best way to give back to football is to always want to play and win."

Who is your football idol?

"Messi is the greatest player in history. I've always wanted to enjoy the joy that football brings, and Neymar represents that joy. My childhood was spent repeatedly watching compilations of his goals and dribbles."

The Champions League is one of your greatest obsessions.

"I aspire to win the Champions League with Barcelona. I also have an unfulfilled wish: I want to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. I've never played them in this competition."

Let's talk about tough opponents in the Champions League.

"Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain have extremely high physical intensity, which forces you to maintain intense concentration for the full 90 minutes, making those matches exceptionally difficult. Arsenal, on the other hand, is more tactically focused and emphasizes ball possession. I think Paris is a serious contender, but for a team that's already won it, it's particularly difficult to reach the top again. That's one of football's trickiest problems."

Looking back at your performance at this year's World Cup.

"I'm not satisfied with myself. I think I could have contributed more. I helped the team, but I'm looking forward to the next major tournament. For other players, playing the way I did might make them think the World Cup was perfect, but for me, it wasn't enough."

"Before the Spain-Brazil match in 2024, Morata pulled me aside and told me: 'I know you're the best player in the world right now; you just need to believe in yourself and show what you can do.' From that moment on, I realized I could really prove myself, and everything took off for me after that."

You were suspended from the national team for three weeks.

"One day at training, Busquets grabbed me and asked: 'What exactly did you do with the national team?' He looked very serious. I was just a kid back then and very scared. I told him the whole story, and he said: 'You play for Barcelona now, everyone knows who you are. No matter how talented you are, you need to learn to control your words and actions.'"

"From that moment on, my life completely changed. I devoted myself entirely to football. No more going out to play; it was training, matches, rest, visiting my mother when I had time, then back to football. Since then, my life has been one thing only: football, football, and more football."

Tell us about the racist incidents you've experienced.

"Many people express racist tendencies toward you indirectly, and they may be completely unaware of it themselves. Many comments and looks carry racist connotations, but the people making them don't realize it at all. At the Bernabéu, someone called me a racial slur. The word itself doesn't hurt me; I'm Black, and there's nothing wrong with the colour of my skin. But the person said it with contempt, and that's what's wrong."

Tell me your understanding of football.

"Football shouldn't be distorted by statistics. It's not about constantly scoring. Even if I don't score for the entire match, as long as I give a brilliant performance, I can finish satisfied. Football isn't just about the moment a goal is scored; it's about the entire attacking process from the goalkeeper's clearance onward."

Details on communicating with teammates about positioning on the pitch.

"I often communicate with Fermín during training; he's good at attacking empty spaces. I also talk with Eric García and Koundé. I tell them I prefer my teammates to make runs into the middle."

Traduit par IA.

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