“No one has this like him”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has named Lamine Yamal as his pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award. The German tactician believes the 19-year-old deserves to claim the prize for his brilliant exploits while hailing him as a special player.

Lamine Yamal was included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award which was released by France Football on Tuesday, September 8. The Barcelona forward is considered one of the favourites to claim the accolade and Flick has thrown his support behind him.

“Of course, he’s my player, a player from Barcelona,” the German said in a news conference (via ESPN) when asked if Yamal should win the award this year. “He deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. For me, it’s great.

“You can see in every game he’s special. No one has this like him. I think he deserves it,” Flick stated.

While Yamal made it onto the 30-man shortlist, Barcelona duo Raphinha and Pedri were omitted and Flick feels the duo should’ve been included as well.

“They are too good to not be there,” the German coach said. “But we cannot change it. But they are fantastic players and deserve to be there,” he added.

The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or award will be announced during the award gala at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26. Yamal faces fierce competition from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Fabian Ruiz, Lionel Messi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele.

The numbers and achievements behind Lamine Yamal’s push for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award

The 19-year-old emerged as one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or award following his sensational outing with club and country during the year. He remained the difference maker under Hansi Flick’s system as Barcelona competed across all fronts last season.

Yamal bagged 24 goals and 18 assists for the Catalan giants in 45 appearances across all competitions during the term. He won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup and was named the league’s best player for the term with his return of 16 goals and 12 assists in 28 outings.

The attacker further solidified his chances for the accolade by helping Spain to claim the FIFA World Cup this summer. He contributed a goal and an assist and produced multiple eye-catching performances during the tournament. It remains to be seen if he will go all the way to claim the coveted prize in October.