Joao Felix has publicly supported Lamine Yamal in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, and considering what the Barcelona forward has delivered in recent weeks, this assertion is becoming increasingly difficult to refute with each match that passes.
In an interview with AS, the Portugal international offered glowing praise for the nineteen-year-old, calling him “pure football” and suggesting that the World Cup champion possesses the traits that Ballon d’Or voters have traditionally valued most highly.
“I’ve always said that the Ballon d’Or goes to the player who makes you stop and think, ‘Wow,'” Felix stated. “This is a star and deserves to be remembered in football history. If there’s a player who keeps you glued to the TV, it’s Lamine. It’s true that Mbappé and Kane have had great seasons, but Lamine is pure football. He also won the World Cup. In World Cup years, winning it is always crucial to be closer to the Ballon d’Or.”
A case built on the biggest stages
Felix’s argument is based on more than just emotion. The evidence supporting Yamal’s recent run of form is genuinely hard to ignore.
The teenager played a key role in Spain’s World Cup victory this summer, arriving at the tournament as one of the most exciting prospects in world football and leaving it as one of the standout players of the competition. That winner’s medal alone places him firmly in the discussion for the game’s most prestigious individual award.
He has since carried that momentum seamlessly into the new club season. Last Sunday, Yamal scored twice and was the standout performer in Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing of Valencia at Mestalla, a performance that earned widespread praise across Europe. On Saturday, he added a goal for Spain in a 3-1 win over England, further highlighting his status as one of the most dangerous attacking players on the international stage.
Four games into the La Liga season, Barcelona have a perfect record, and Yamal has been their most influential player throughout.
The competition
Felix acknowledged that Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane have both had strong seasons and will provide serious competition for the award. That much is undeniable.
Mbappé’s individual output remains among the highest in world football, and Kane’s consistency at the highest level continues to make him one of the most reliable strikers in Europe. Both will attract significant support from voters when the time comes.
But the Ballon d’Or has never been decided purely on statistics. The award carries a broader consideration: the impact a player has on the game as a whole, the moments they produce on the biggest stages, and the feeling they generate among supporters watching around the world.
On all three counts, Yamal’s argument is a compelling one.
Nineteen years old and already here
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this conversation is the age at which it is taking place.
Yamal is nineteen. He has a World Cup winners medal, a La Liga title challenge underway with Barcelona, and an international record with Spain that is growing with every appearance. He is not building towards the Ballon d’Or conversation; he is already in it, competing against players a decade his senior.
Whether Yamal ultimately claims the award will depend on how the rest of his season unfolds individually, with Barcelona, and with Spain. But on current form, the nineteen-year-old is making the strongest possible case.