On 28 September, Gabriel Sans, Barcelona correspondent for Mundo Deportivo, published an editorial stating that Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has every reason to win the Ballon d'Or this year.

His goal at Wembley Stadium helped Spain defeat England 3-2, making him one of the key contributors to victory in the Nations League. This alone demonstrates that Yamal, football's rising prodigy, already possesses the calibre to join the ranks of the world's elite players. While his performance in that match falls outside the voting period for the 2024-25 Ballon d'Or, which closed on Monday, his influence and symbolic significance are undeniable.

At just 19 years old, this Barcelona academy product has already shouldered responsibilities on the pitch that typically fall to established superstars. His credentials as a candidate rest not only on impressive statistics and major championship titles, but also on his ability to dictate play, create opportunities, and deliver when it matters most. Whether wearing a Barcelona shirt or representing Spain, his performances have elevated him to another level. In previous Ballon d'Or voting, he finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé, then at Paris Saint-Germain.

In the 2024-25 season, Yamal won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, while the team reached the Champions League quarter-finals and Copa del Rey semi-finals. In La Liga, he was the team's primary source of creative brilliance, and his consistently high-level performances earned him the league's Player of the Year award. Unlike leading Ballon d'Or contenders such as Mbappé and Kane, Yamal need not rely solely on goal tallies to support his candidacy. He combines statistics, impact, creativity, championship titles, the ability to change matches, consistent excellence, and innate talent. In crucial encounters against elite opponents, he has fully demonstrated his versatile quality.

In the 2024-25 season, Yamal scored 24 goals for Barcelona, a new personal single-season record. Notably, he played as a winger throughout, never as a centre-forward. In La Liga, he scored 16 goals, setting a new personal league record in a single season—a tally he shared with Ferran Torres for the Pichichi Trophy. He also provided 11 assists in the league, topping La Liga's assist rankings. Most significantly, his impact on matches has been extraordinary: in 20 of the 26 La Liga matches he played, he directly influenced the result through goals, assists, or penalties won.

In the Champions League, Yamal also delivered commanding performances, registering an impressive 6 goals and 4 assists. In 8 of the 10 matches he played, he had a significant impact and posed a constant threat to opposing defences. In the Champions League quarter-finals, Barcelona trailed 0-2 at home against Atlético Madrid, facing elimination. In the crucial second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano, Yamal scored, helping the team reduce the deficit to 1-2, a performance even UEFA praised. Furthermore, he surpassed Haaland to become the youngest player in football history to reach double figures in both goals and assists in a single Champions League campaign. Overall, his season statistics were elite: 45 matches played, 24 goals, 17 assists, and direct involvement in 41 of his team's goals.

Considering his individual brilliance, team honours, and decisive impact in key matches, Yamal stands above all other Ballon d'Or candidates this year. This season, he helped Barcelona win two major trophies—La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup—continuing their previous success, while the team came agonisingly close to the Champions League final. Most impressively, Yamal led Spain to World Cup victory over Messi's Argentina, reaching football's ultimate pinnacle, and simultaneously became the first player in history to win both the European Championship and the World Cup before turning 20 years old.

Yamal scored his first World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia and was named Man of the Match twice in crucial encounters with Austria and Belgium, delivering exceptional numbers in shots, dribbles and other key areas. His value is reflected not only in his individual abilities but also in his contribution to elevating his team's overall strength—his greatest asset for contending for this year's Ballon d'Or. The Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London on Monday, 26 October 2026, where his achievements are already well known.

Traduit par IA.

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