Sports
Barcelona coach backs Lamine Yamal's Ballon d'Or claim
September 15, 2026 at 03:00 PM · Updated 31d ago
Coverage
3 reports · 2 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 10 hours
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has backed Lamine Yamal's claim that the 19-year-old deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, dismissing concerns over the teenager's ego.
- Yamal said he and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé are the best players in the world but that he deserves the Ballon d'Or this year.
- Flick said Yamal is exceptional and deserves the award, citing his LaLiga, Spanish Supercopa and World Cup titles.
- The ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 26 in London, with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé among the contenders.
- Flick said Gavi and Alejandro Balde are unhappy with limited minutes but must accept the competition for places.
- Flick said he wished Yamal had stayed quiet on the Ballon d'Or debate and declined to comment on Mbappé.
- Flick expressed hope the controversy would not affect player focus, saying team achievements matter more than individual prizes.


