Spain manager Luis de la Fuente believes Lamine Yamal will become a multiple Ballon d’Or winner, despite the Barcelona winger finishing third behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the 2026 vote.
Yamal helped Barcelona retain the LaLiga title and played a key role as Spain won the World Cup during the period considered for the award. Kane claimed the prize, while Mbappe finished second.
The teenager’s performances for club and country were reflected in his statistics. He recorded 41 goal involvements in all competitions during the 2025-26 season, scoring 24 goals and providing 17 assists. Only five players from Europe’s top five leagues registered more.
Yamal also led that group for both attempted and successful dribbles, with 429 attempts and 225 completed. His 118 chances created placed him joint-sixth, while 59 of those opportunities came after he had carried the ball. Only Vinicius Junior, with 60, created more chances in that way.
Before Monday’s ceremony in London, De la Fuente had repeatedly argued that the award should go to a Spain player. Yamal was among six Spain nominees, alongside Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Ferran Torres and Fabian Ruiz.
The Spain manager does not believe Yamal’s failure to win the main award this year will harm his prospects in future votes.
“Lamine Yamal is going to win many Ballon d’Or awards, many individual trophies, but more importantly, he is going to win many more team trophies. I know he values that more,” De la Fuente said, as quoted by ESPN.
“He needs to be calm because we know who he is and what he represents. We know the potential he has, the great footballer he is and the great person he is.”
Yamal wins Kopa Trophy again
Yamal did leave the ceremony with the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21. It was the third consecutive year in which he had won the award.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Yamal’s latest Ballon d’Or result should provide further motivation ahead of next year’s prize.
“What Lamine has done is unique,” Laporta said in an interview with Cadena Cope. “He’s won the young player award for the third consecutive time.
“We are very proud of him. He deserves everything. We will all help him to be even more motivated next year to get this award.
“Now we have to give him love, which he deserves. All of us, together, will cheer him on so he can win this award next year.”
