Lamine Yamal boosts his Ballon d'Or after shining at Wembley
Lamine Yamal, the 19‑year‑old Barça youngster, opened the scoring in Spain's 3‑2 victory over England at Wembley, and his performance bolsters his Ballon d'Or candidacy, whose voting closes this Monday after a night of intense pressure.
In the 2025‑26 campaign, Lamine Yamal won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barça, and took the side to the Champions League quarter‑finals and the Copa del Rey semi‑finals. He was named La Liga Player of the Year, establishing himself as the tournament’s creative benchmark. His performance was complemented by titles that reaffirmed those won the previous season.
Historic record in the Champions League
In the Champions League, Yamal scored six goals and provided four assists, influencing eight of the ten matches played. In the quarter‑final against Atlético, he scored the goal that reduced the deficit to 1‑2, becoming the youngest player to reach ten goals and ten assists in a single European edition, surpassing Erling Haaland. UEFA recognized his contribution with official praise.
In La Liga, the winger recorded sixteen goals, his best in the league, and shared the Zarra Trophy with Ferran Torres. He also added eleven assists, the highest number of decisive passes in the competition, and was involved in key moments in twenty of the twenty‑six matchdays he played.
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International impact and observations from Flick
In the Nations League, Spain beat England 3‑2 at Wembley and Yamal opened the scoring, while the newly‑signed Anthony Gordon scored for the English. According to German coach Hansi Flick, who was at the stadium, he praised the performance of several Barça players, including an assist from Dani Olmo. Flick also noted the withdrawal of Eric García from the Spanish squad due to recent discomfort.
Even though the Ballon d'Or 2025‑26 voting closes this Monday and Yamal will not be counted in that edition, his candidacy is fueled by statistics, titles and decisive ability, contrasting with favorites Mbappé and Kane, who base their nomination mainly on the number of goals.
Recognition and future of the Ballon d'Or
Journalist Gabriel Sans emphasized that Yamal’s genius is already blessed to be considered the best player in the world, quoting Yamal himself: “We also know how to play on the counter‑attack.” He also highlighted his performances at the World Cup, where he scored against Saudi Arabia and was MVP against Austria and Belgium.
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The contrast between his collective achievements and his meteoric individual rise shows that Lamine Yamal is ready to lead the global football conversation, while the Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held on 26 October 2026 in London, an event that will bring together those who already know him.