Lamine Yamal performed 45 video games for Barcelona and Spain within the 2025-26 season, scoring 24 targets and offering 17 assists for a direct involvement in 41 targets. World Sport journalist Gabriel Sans wrote in a column on 28 September that these numbers, alongside two trophies and a World Cup winners’ medal, give the 19-year-old a stronger Ballon d’Or declare than every other candidate.
The ceremony takes place on 26 October in London. Yamal completed second within the earlier version of the award, behind Ousmane Dembele, who was then at Paris Saint-Germain.
The season in numbers
In La Liga, Yamal scored 16 targets, a private league-season file, and shared the Zarra Trophy with Ferran Torres. His 11 league assists led the division. Within the 26 La Liga matches he performed, he straight influenced the end in 20 of them via a aim, an help or profitable a penalty.
Within the Champions League he scored 6 targets and added 4 assists throughout 10 appearances, contributing a decisive influence in 8 of these video games. Based on Sans, Yamal surpassed Erling Haaland to grow to be the youngest participant in historical past to achieve double figures in each targets and assists in a single Champions League season.
Titles and the World Cup
Barcelona received La Liga and the Spanish Tremendous Cup in 2025-26. The membership additionally reached the Champions League quarter-finals and the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Within the Champions League quarter-final second leg on the Metropolitano, with Barcelona trailing 0-2 from the primary leg, Yamal scored to make it 1-2, and UEFA praised his efficiency.
On the World Cup, Yamal scored his first match aim towards Saudi Arabia and was named man of the match within the video games towards Austria and Belgium. Spain beat Argentina within the closing. Sans notes that Yamal grew to become the primary participant in historical past to win each the European Championship and the World Cup earlier than the age of 20.
Navas backs Yamal and Fabian Ruiz
Former Spain worldwide Jesus Navas, talking at an occasion in Seville forward of Spain’s match towards Croatia on the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, stated Yamal deserves the award. He added that Fabian Ruiz, a pal from his hometown, additionally deserves the prize. Former gamers Ivan Rakitic and Davor Suker, who have been additionally on the occasion, stated the Ballon d’Or ought to go to a Spanish participant.
Yamal’s aim for Spain towards England at Wembley, which helped Spain win 3-2 within the UEFA Nations League, falls outdoors the 2025-26 voting window that closes on Monday. Sans wrote that the efficiency carries symbolic weight regardless.
