“He deserves it” - Lamine Yamal names 2 ex-Barcelona stars as players he would love to give Ballon d'Or to if he does not win it himself

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal has named Neymar and Lionel Messi as the players he would love to give the Ballon d'Or to, if he did not win it himself. He believes that the Brazilian star deserves the prestigious award in his career, while the Argentine is the greatest of all time.

Speaking to RTVE, Yamal claimed that Neymar should have won a Ballon d’Or during his time at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He added that the Brazilian legend had done enough to get his hands on the France Football trophy and said (via Barca Universal):

"Neymar and Messi. I’d give one to 'Ney', I think he deserves it. The 'Ney' who was playing for Barça or Paris at the time would definitely win it now, I would have liked him to have won one. And obviously, Messi because he’s the best ever."

Yamal admitted that he wants to win the award this year, adding that any player who claims otherwise is lying about it. He is hoping to be the recipient of the award soon and said:

“Obviously, all players want to win the Ballon d’Or, and anyone who says otherwise is lying. Being there at 18 is something to be cherished, and hopefully it will happen.”

Lamine Yamal is among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or this year. Three of his Barcelona teammates, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Pedri, have also been nominated for the award.

Lamine Yamal explained why ex-Barcelona star should not win the Ballon d'Or

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal spoke to the media in June this year and claimed that he would not vote for PSG forward Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d'Or nominations. He claimed that the Frenchman was not the best player in the season, and it should be one of the Barcelona players. He said (via Mirror):

"People have the wrong concept of the Ballon d’Or. The Ballon d'Or is not for the one who wins a match, it's for the best player of the year. For me, if people want to vote for the one who wins the match, perfect."

"I would vote for any Barça player before Dembelé, because I am from Barça. If you ask someone from PSG, they will tell you Dembelé, and if you ask someone from Real Madrid, they will tell you Kylian Mbappé."

Lamine Yamal is expected to be one of the Top 5 in the Ballon d'Or ranking this year. The gala is scheduled to take place on September 22, 2025, in Paris.