Lamine Yamal leaves Dembélé out of Ballon d’Or race

Lamine Yamal has left Ousmane Dembélé outside his personal Ballon d’Or discussion, naming himself and Kylian Mbappé as the two best players in the world. The Barcelona winger also believes his collection of major trophies makes him deserving of this year’s award.

Yamal made the assessment in an interview with Movistar Plus, which is due to be released in full on September 18. His view excludes Dembélé, Harry Kane and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from the leading conversation. Mbappé has also been making his case ahead of the vote through an extended interview with France Football.

Yamal’s claim is supported by a season in which he combined individual production with major team honours. He won the Spanish title with Barcelona, received the award for the league’s best player and lifted the World Cup with Spain. His personal figures were 24 goals and 18 assists.

The teenager specifically pointed to those achievements as an advantage over Mbappé. While placing himself alongside the France captain, he argued that his trophy haul gives him the stronger claim. The Ballon d’Or verdict is scheduled for October 26, leaving Yamal’s comments as a direct statement of confidence before the final decision.