Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal addressed Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or short list.
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has refused to put stock in Ousmane Dembélé’s 2026 Ballon d’Or predictions, suggesting the Paris Saint-Germain forward’s selections were influenced by personal bias.
Yamal responds to bias
The 19-year-old addressed his omission from Dembélé’s shortlist during a media appearance on Tuesday, September 8.
“He’s Kylian Mbappé’s friend, right?” Yamal stated. “I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we faced each other, I probably did something that made them dislike me! And that’s normal. My relationship with Ousmane is very good, and I understand that he wants to choose other players.”
He added: “But I’m very happy with what I delivered this year, and I’m confident that everyone watched it, even if he didn’t.”
Dembele selects his favourites
Dembélé, who secured the 2025 Ballon d’Or, revealed his top three candidates for the 2026 award during an interview with L’Équipe.
The French international selected Paris Saint-Germain teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, and Real Madrid forward Mbappé. The list excluded Yamal, despite the winger securing the 2025/26 LALIGA title and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Yamal dominates recent meetings
Yamal’s comments regarding a possible dislike reference his consistent success against Mbappé across both club and international competitions.
The Barcelona academy graduate scored against Mbappé’s France during the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals. He recently defeated the French national team again on July 14, en route to Spain winning the 2026 World Cup in North America.
At club level, Yamal has maintained a positive record in El Clásico fixtures against Mbappé’s Real Madrid. The winger has frequently celebrated or preceded these victories with provocative social media posts, which has possibly sown a seed of discord.