Lamine Yamal Explains Why Kane And Dembélé Should Not Win Ballon D’Or

Lamine Yamal Explains Why Kane and Dembélé Should Not Win Ballon d’Or Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has questioned the criteria being used to assess contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, arguing that winning team trophies or scoring a large number of goals should not automatically determine who receives the individual award. Yamal specifically addressed the cases of Harry Kane and defending Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, as the 30-man shortlist prepares for the awards ceremony in London on October 26. Yamal challenged the idea that a player from Paris Saint-Germain should win the award simply because the club won the Champions League. According to the Barcelona forward, the Champions League trophy recognises the best team, while the Ballon d’Or is intended to recognise the best individual player. His comments come after Dembélé helped PSG retain the Champions League and was included among the leading contenders for a second consecutive Ballon d’Or. Yamal also appeared to question whether Kane’s outstanding goalscoring numbers should be decisive in the Ballon d’Or race.Kane scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025–26 season, won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and finished as the European Golden Shoe winner. He also helped England reach third place at the 2026 World Cup. Yamal argued that goalscoring achievements and the Ballon d’Or should be viewed as separate accomplishments, saying the award should focus on who is considered the best overall player.Yamal is among the 30 nominees after a season in which he helped Barcelona retain La Liga and later played a key role in Spain’s 2026 World Cup triumph. He was also named La Liga’s best player for the 2025–26 season. The 19-year-old previously said he believes Kylian Mbappé is his main rival for the award and that he deserves the prize because of what he achieved with Barcelona and Spain.Dembélé, Kane, Yamal and Mbappé are among the prominent names on this year’s shortlist, alongside players including Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior. Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, while Yamal finished second in last year’s voting. The 2026 winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26. The Ballon d’Or is decided by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, with voting based on individual performances, team achievements and sporting conduct.