BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal believes he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world and said he deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a trophy-laden year with Barcelona and Spain.
"For me, Mbappe and me, we're the two best players in the world," the 19-year-old Barcelona winger said in an interview on Movistar Plus, excerpts of which were published on Sunday.
"I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I've won," he added.
Yamal helped Barcelona retain La Liga before becoming a world champion with Spain this summer, strengthening his claim for the game's most prestigious individual award.
He had struck a more measured tone at a press conference last Tuesday, saying he believed he had a chance after an "incredible" season but would not beg for votes.
Mbappe, meanwhile, has also made his case for the award in recent days.
The France captain finished as top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, although Real Madrid failed to win a major trophy.
Yamal's Barcelona and Spain teammate Ousmane Dembele, last year's winner, believes the award should remain with a Paris Saint-Germain player after the French club retained the Champions League.
Bayern Munich striker and England international Harry Kane is also among the favourites to win the award, which will be issued in London on October 26.