Yamal says his playing style gives him the edge for the Ballon d’Or

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, 19, told L’Équipe that his style of play is the strongest argument for winning the Ballon d’Or, after a season that delivered La Liga and a World Cup triumph with Spain. He added that enjoyment on the pitch and the joy he brings to fans matter more than goal tallies.

Candidates and club backing

Kylian Mbappé has already given several interviews, one of which hinted at the current holder and at Ousmane Dembélé as a contender to retain the trophy. Paris Saint-Germain are promoting their own favourites, Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who have featured heavily in the media since their nominations earlier this month.

Like many of this year’s candidates, Yamal has not shied away from drumming home his arguments for why he should win the Ballon d’Or. He is coming off a season in which he won La Liga with Barcelona and the FIFA World Cup with the Spain national team.

The 19‑year‑old has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or on three occasions and has collected the Kopa Trophy twice, the award for the best young player. Last season he was pipped by PSG’s Dembélé but still lifted the Kopa Trophy for the second time.

Yamal explained the award’s spirit to L’Équipe: “Ballon d’Or is for ‘magic’ players that ‘make you smile’. We both played in the Champions League, we got to the semi‑finals and he won it… experience counts, too. I want to congratulate Ousmane on his very good season.”

Yamal’s view on the award

When asked what his own arguments were, Yamal said, “I think that those who watch football know what my arguments are. On the pitch I enjoy myself, I play well, as I want to. I was also lucky to win lots of titles with Barca. That’s been the case for two years, and I won the most important one, the World Cup. But beyond that, I think that my style of play is my strongest argument and what makes me different.”

He concluded that the Ballon d’Or is about the player who makes you want to watch a game just to watch him, not about the number of goals scored.