Rafinha: Ballon d'Or should go to Yamal

Barcelona striker Rafinha spoke about the main contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian believes that his teammate Lamine Yamal should receive the award. According to Rafinha, the 19-year-old Spaniard's statistics, team titles and influence on the game of Barcelona and the Spanish national team speak in favor of him. "The Ballon d'Or should go to Lamin. He has great statistics, he won two trophies with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. He is one of the key players for both Barcelona and Spain, so for me there is no doubt about that. I believe that individual stats, team trophies and what magic, charisma and influence a footballer brings to the game are important when determining the winner of the Ballon d'Or. Lamin has all these qualities. He shows excellent statistics not only during the last season, but also the year before last. And the current season also started very well. Even if he wasn't my teammate, I'd still call him a top contender considering what he shows on the pitch, his stats and the titles he's won. For me, he should receive this award. As for the opinions of others, everyone can pursue their own interests, but for me everything is clear - the Ballon d'Or should go to Lamin," Rafinha was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. We will remind you that earlier Yamal personally spoke about the criteria for awarding the Golden Ball.