Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or Snub and Barcelona’s Response

At the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, the award for the world’s best male player was won by Harry Kane. Barcelona’s 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal finished third, behind Kane and Kylian Mbappé, while also securing his third consecutive Kopa Trophy as the top player under 21. The result left Yamal and his club confronting a high-profile disappointment just days before Barcelona’s La Liga match against Alavés.

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Yamal entered the 2026 voting after a season in which he helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title and win the Spanish Supercopa, and after contributing to Spain’s 2026 World Cup triumph. The teenager had been tipped as a possible Ballon d’Or winner for the second year running, having previously finished second to Ousmane Dembélé in 2025.

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• Ballon d’Or ranking: 1 – Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), 2 – Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), 3 – Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).

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• Goal/assist tallies reported for Yamal’s 2025-26 season differ: one source cites 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 appearances; another cites 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances.

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• Yamal’s Kopa Trophy win marks a third straight year receiving the award.

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Flick added that the squad must “accept defeat and learn” after recent losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, emphasizing the long-term nature of the title race.

Al Jazeera (website)

Barcelona’s communications department announced the temporary closure of a 2,000-seat “grada de animación” section for the Alavés match, citing disciplinary proceedings related to offensive chants and objects thrown during the recent El Clásico.

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The exact voting breakdown that placed Yamal third is not disclosed. Additionally, the season-long goal and assist totals for Yamal vary between sources, leaving the precise statistical record unclear.

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• “Harry Kane deserved it, but you already know what I think about Lamine. He’s at the level required to win this award,” — Hansi Flick, Barcelona coach

Al Jazeera (website)

• “Harry Kane also deserved to win this prize,” — Hansi Flick, Barcelona coach

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• “The decision to close the section follows a series of disciplinary proceedings opened against the club and some of its members due to behaviour that goes against the values of sport,” — Barça

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• “IT WILL COME, good things take time, I trust in the path I'm building,” — Lamine Yamal

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• “I do think there was a split in the voting between Rodri and Lamine Yamal from that Spanish team that won the World Cup,” — Eric Garcia, France Football editor

Ballon d'Or chief reveals how Barcelona team-mate Rodri 'took votes away' from Lamine Yamal in 2026 Golden Ball race as Harry Kane triumph

Yamal’s third-place finish underscores the growing prominence of Barcelona’s youth while highlighting the challenges young stars face when individual accolades hinge on both personal performance and broader team success. The club’s handling of the disciplinary issue and its focus on maintaining a positive mindset suggest an effort to protect its brand and keep the squad’s morale high ahead of crucial league fixtures.

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Barcelona will face Alavés at Spotify Camp Nou on the weekend following the ceremony, with Flick indicating that “the most important thing tomorrow is to win.” The club also plans to review the disciplinary situation affecting the closed stadium section, aiming to have it operational for the upcoming Champions League match against Aston Villa.

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