Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal told Movistar, in comments amplified by journalist Fabrizio Romano on 18 September 2026, that Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé are the two best players in the world.

Lamine Yamal added that the judgment would not change even if England had won the World Cup.

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“Even if England had won the World Cup, I’d still say that Mbappé and I are the two best players in the world,” Lamine Yamal said. “The Ballon d’Or isn’t about who wins, it’s for the best player. It’s a different concept.”

The full Movistar interview was trailed earlier in the week and sits inside an open campaign for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, to be presented in London on 26 October.

In clips already published, Lamine Yamal, 19, said he sincerely believed he deserved the award because of what he had won: La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. “As far as I’m concerned, Mbappé and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me, and everyone who watches the matches knows it,” Lamine Yamal said.

Kylian Mbappé has made a rival case. The France captain finished as top scorer at the World Cup, in La Liga and in the Champions League last season, yet left those competitions without a major team trophy. Kylian Mbappé said last week that no player was better than him across that year.

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Lamine Yamal was named La Liga’s best player as Barcelona kept the title and later helped Spain win the World Cup in North America, though Lamine Yamal has also said he was not satisfied with his own tournament after a pre-event injury. Lamine Yamal finished second to Ousmane Dembélé in last year’s Ballon d’Or.