Lamine Yamal believes his World Cup win with Spain and LaLiga title with Barcelona give him an edge over Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe in this year's Ballon d'Or race.
Mbappe was the top scorer at the World Cup, LaLiga and the Champions League and claimed last week that no player performed better than him last season, despite ending it without a trophy. Yamal named LaLiga's best player for 2025-26, helped Barcelona retain the league title before playing a key role in Spain's World Cup triumph in North America.
"I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I'd deserve it because of what I've won," Yamal said in a clip shared by Movistar. "Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It's clear to me and to anyone watching the matches."
Yamal finished runner-up to Ousmane Dembele last year, while Mbappe was third in 2023 when Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or. This year's award will be presented in London on October 26.
On the pitch, Yamal scored twice as Barcelona beat Levante 4-2 with fellow academy product Xavi Espart 19, also finding the net.
Elsewhere, Harry Kane's second-half strike gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 win over promoted Elversberg, marking his 99th Bundesliga goal in 97 matches. Paris Saint-Germain earned its first league win of the season, beating Brest 1-0 through Ferran Torres while Atletico Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 3-0.
