Jorge Mendes Tips Lamine Yamal for 2026 Ballon d’Or After Laporta Meeting
Jorge Mendes has declared Lamine Yamal the clear choice for the 2026 Ballon d’Or after meeting Barcelona president Joan Laporta over dinner.
The Portuguese agent spent around two hours with Laporta before facing reporters outside the restaurant, where he left no doubt over his view of the race. Mendes said Yamal should take the award, calling the Barcelona winger the world’s outstanding player and insisting the gap to his rivals was substantial.
Yamal, 19, has already made his own case for the honour. In a recent interview, the La Masia product said he and Kylian Mbappe were the two leading candidates for the title of football’s best player, but argued that his achievements this year made him deserving of the prize.
“For me, it is obvious,” Yamal said, adding that supporters who watch the games could see his level.
Yamal’s trophy-winning year
The Spain international has built a formidable Ballon d’Or candidacy through club and international success. He helped Spain win the 2026 World Cup, while Barcelona secured both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.
Across all competitions last season, Yamal produced 24 goals and 18 assists. That output, combined with major silverware, has placed him among the leading contenders as the battle with Mbappe develops.
What happens next
The winner will be announced in London on October 26. It will be the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony and the first time the event has been held outside Paris.
Yamal’s performances for Barcelona in domestic and European competition between now and the ceremony will be closely watched, with the final months set to shape the verdict on football’s biggest individual award.
