Lamine Yamal was voted the best young player for a third straight year at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, but the 19-year-old Barcelona winger finished third in the main vote behind Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and England and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, who finished second.
The Spain star took to social media on Tuesday night to reassure fans that missing out on soccer’s top individual prize would not dampen his spirits.
“IT WILL COME, good things take time, I trust in the path I’m building,” Yamal wrote. “No rush, just excitement and the calm assurance that one day my time will come.”
He added: “Congratulations to the winners. My focus is back on what matters most: making FC Barcelona win again.”
A Strong Season and a World Cup Run
Yamal was among the leading contenders for the award after a strong 2025-26 campaign. He recorded 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances as Barcelona defended their LaLiga title and won the Spanish Supercopa.
He also played a key role for the Spain side that won the 2026 World Cup. Yamal returned to action in the summer after an injury late in the club season, and he scored only one goal at the tournament. He started seven of Spain’s eight games and was a constant threat down the right wing, attracting double teams throughout the competition in North America, where La Roja captured their second World Cup.
Praise From the Manager
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who won the Ballon d’Or for men’s coach of the year, praised his young winger after Monday’s ceremony. “Lamine Yamal is going to win many Ballon d’Or awards, many individual trophies, but more importantly, he is going to win many more team trophies,” de la Fuente said. “I know he values that more.”
More Honors and a Strong Start
Yamal, a 2024 European Champion, has already won three LaLiga titles with Barça. He also claimed the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player in the world under the age of 21, ahead of his Spain and Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí.
Barcelona sit atop LaLiga after a stellar start in which they won their first eight games. Yamal has scored eight goals and added six assists during that run.