Lamine Yamal believes that the Ballon d’Or should reward the player who brings the most joy to the fans instead of simply going to the footballer with the best record.
The Barcelona The forward finished second to Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele last year and is again among the top contenders, with the winner to be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.
Yamal face a field that includes Dembele, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who has enjoyed a prolific campaign in front of goal.
Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern when they won the Bundesligawhile Mbappé scored 42 for Real Madrid. Yamal found the net 24 times and Dembele scored 20 as PSG won the European title.
The 19-year-old doesn’t believe raw numbers should determine who wins the game’s most prestigious individual award.
“It’s fun that there are more players (for the award), more debate and that people can have different opinions,” Yamal said. the team.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the journalists. It’s a tough job for them. We all have good arguments to win it. We’re all great players, so let’s see.
“The Ballon d’Or it’s for the best player of the year, someone different, someone we’ve enjoyed watching, who has that magic, makes you smile and makes you want to watch games just to watch them play.
“It has nothing to do with the great number of goals. When I think of the Ballon d’Or, I think of (Lionel) Messi, Ronaldinho… different players, players who make you dream.”
Yamal points to style over trophies
There’s also a strong statistical case for Kane based solely on his production, but Yamal believes other elements should carry more weight.
The young man from Barcelona won multiple trophies with his club and was also part of the Spanish team that lifted the World Cupadding another great honor to a collection that already includes the European Championship.
Yamal believes that these achievements, along with his performances, strengthen his claim for the award.
“I have fun on the pitch,” he added. “I have also been lucky enough to win many trophies with Barcelona.
“And I won the biggest trophy of all, the World Cup with my national team. But beyond all that, I think the way I play is the strongest argument and what makes me different.”
Yamal dreams of joining the football greats
Despite insisting the Ballon d’Or is not an obsession, Yamal admits he dreams of winning it and wants his career to leave a lasting mark.
The teenager has repeatedly spoken about establishing his own identity rather than being compared to Messi or Pelé.
“Yes, I dream of winning (the Ballon d’Or),” he said. “I always say that everyone should aim as high as possible. If I were a waiter, I would want to own the restaurant.
“I play to make history, so that in 30 years the children will say: ‘I was very good’. But it’s not an obsession. I never think ‘I want to be better than Pelé or Messi’. I don’t want to compare myself to others.
“I want to be Lamine Yamal. I want to be remembered as Lamine Yamal. I hope to be remembered among the greats. I have the ability to do that; it’s up to me.”
“I already knew he scored a lot of goals, but training with him every day, seeing his mentality, it has dazzled me even more,” Diaz told ESPN.
“It’s hard to sum it up in one word. Brutal, maybe…magnificent. For me, it’s hard to find the perfect word to describe it.
“For me, he is the No. 1 candidate to win the Ballon d’Or. I hope he wins it.”
