Lamine Yamal has questioned whether goals and statistics should carry so much weight in determining the Ballon d’Or, arguing that the award should recognise the world’s best player rather than simply the most prolific goalscorer.
The Barcelona winger made the comments in an interview with Movistar Plus, highlighted by Spanish newspaper Sport, while discussing the criteria he believes should determine football’s most prestigious individual award.
Yamal argued that a player scoring 80 goals in a season should not automatically be considered the leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
He said: “I think this award should be given to the best player in the world and that’s it, not to a player who scored 80 goals, because when you score 80 goals you get the top scorer award for the season. These are very different things, and people don’t understand that.”
Yamal challenges the goals argument
The 18-year-old’s comments come as several players competing for the award have highlighted their goalscoring records when making their cases.
Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are among those whose individual numbers have featured prominently in discussions about the Ballon d’Or, although Yamal did not refer to either player by name.
Mbappe previously discussed his nomination in an interview with France Football magazine, published by L’Equipe, pointing to his performances and goals in major competitions, particularly the World Cup.
The Real Madrid striker said: “There was no player better than me,” while arguing that his individual achievements could make up for the absence of major team trophies.
Kane has also spoken about his own chances, referring to his statistics for Bayern Munich and England in an interview with Marca.
The England striker said: “I never liked to talk much about myself,” before highlighting his record of 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country.
Kane also acknowledged the contribution of his team-mates and said the final decision would ultimately be made by the voters.
For Yamal, however, statistics should not become the defining measure of a player’s claim to the award. He believes what a player contributes during matches should carry greater importance.
Champions League success not enough
Yamal also rejected the idea that winning the Champions League automatically makes a player from the victorious team the leading Ballon d’Or candidate.
Paris Saint-Germain’s success in the competition, he said, should not necessarily mean one of their players is the best individual footballer in the world.
“When you win the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain gets the Champions League trophy because they were the best team, and that’s the trophy that belongs to Paris Saint-Germain. But having the best player in the world at Paris Saint-Germain is a different matter.”
The Barcelona winger said individual quality should instead be judged by what supporters and observers see on the pitch.
“The best player in the world is the one you, as a commentator, watch during the match and enjoy watching; you see him as a player different from everyone else.”
Despite questioning the importance of statistics and trophies, Yamal did not rule himself out of the Ballon d’Or race.
During the same interview, he defended his own candidacy and placed himself alongside Mbappe among the two best players in the world, while insisting that his performances and achievements this year justify his claim to the award.
His argument, therefore, is not that trophies and goals have no value, but that they should not replace an assessment of the player’s individual level and influence.
‘I get upset if I don’t touch the ball’
Yamal’s comments also reflect his wider approach to football and how he judges his own performances.
He cited his admiration for Mesut Ozil, whose ability to entertain supporters and influence matches was not dependent on producing huge goalscoring numbers.
The Barcelona player also criticised the tendency to judge matches primarily through figures displayed on results and statistics applications.
For Yamal, a strong individual performance can still be satisfying even when it does not produce a goal.
He said: “It has happened to me in many matches, where I feel that I have put on a great performance and maybe I didn’t score a goal, but I go to sleep very happy.”
The winger also recalled conversations with his mother about what matters most to him when he plays.
“I’m not going to go home angry because I didn’t score a goal. Scoring a goal is just a statistic. I get upset if I don’t touch the ball, and if I can’t enjoy myself.”
Yamal’s comments present a view of the Ballon d’Or in which a player’s influence, creativity and ability to make a match enjoyable are considered alongside goals and trophies, rather than allowing statistics alone to determine the winner.
