Lamine Jamal: I Deserve to Win the Ballon d'Or
Lamine Jamal, the star of Barcelona and the Spanish national football team, believes that both he and French international Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid forward, are among the best players in the world. He emphasized that he deserves the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a year filled with titles with the Catalan club and "La Roja."
The 19-year-old winger said in an interview with Movistar Plus, excerpts of which were published on Sunday: "Who will I give the Ballon d'Or to? To the best player in the world. Who will they give it to? That's a long story. I truly believe I deserve it this year considering the titles I've won (La Liga and the World Cup). For me, Mbappé and I are the best players in the world. It's very clear, and anyone who watches the matches knows that."
Jamal played a key role in helping Barcelona retain the La Liga title before winning the World Cup with Spain this summer, boosting his chances of winning the most prestigious individual award in football.
Jamal had spoken with greater humility during a press conference last Tuesday, where he mentioned that he believes he has a chance to win the award after an "exceptional" season, but he will not seek to sway voters.
On the other hand, Mbappé has also strengthened his case for the award in recent days; he finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the World Cup, despite Real Madrid not winning any major titles.
For his part, Mbappé stated during a press conference on Monday and then in an extensive interview with France Football, the magazine organizing the award, that he has a great chance to win the Ballon d'Or for the first time after becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history this summer.
The Real Madrid forward said: "There was no player better than me last season," pointing out that he finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the World Cup, but without winning any collective titles.
Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé, Mbappé's teammate in the French national team and last year's award winner from Paris Saint-Germain, confirmed that the Ballon d'Or should remain "in the hands" of a player from the French capital club, which has won the Champions League twice in a row.
Harry Kane, the English forward for Bayern Munich, is also considered one of the top contenders for the award.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 26 in London, giving the various candidates more time to continue their impressive performances in pursuit of the award.
