Ballon D’Or Shouldn’t Be About Goals Alone – Yamal

Lamine Yamal has made a case for a broader interpretation of what it means to be the world’s best footballer, arguing that goals alone should not determine who wins the Ballon d’Or.

The Barcelona forward believes the award should also recognise players whose style, creativity and ability to entertain make them stand out and inspire fans to watch the game.

Yamal spoke to L’Equipe as he continues his pursuit of the individual honour after finishing behind Ousmane Dembélé in last year’s voting.

He is again among the leading contenders for the award, with Dembélé, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane also in contention.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.

For Yamal, the current contest is particularly interesting because of the number of players with strong claims to the award.

“It’s fun that there are more players [up for the prize], more debate and people can have different opinions,” he told L’Equipe.

He acknowledged that the final choice would ultimately be determined by journalists, who he said faced a difficult task because of the quality of the candidates.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to the journalists. It’s a difficult job for them. We all have good arguments to win it. We are all great players, so let’s see,” Yamal said.

The teenager argued that the history of the Ballon d’Or shows that the award has traditionally been associated with players capable of producing something special on the pitch, rather than simply accumulating goals.

“The Ballon d’Or is for the best player of the year, someone different, someone we have enjoyed watching, who has that magic, makes you smile and look forward to watching games just to see them play,” he said.

“It’s not to do with the sheer number of goals. When I think of the Ballon d’Or, I think of [Lionel] Messi, Ronaldinho… different players, players that make you dream.”

The statistics, however, remain an important part of the debate surrounding this year’s contenders.

Kane finished the season with 61 goals for Bayern, helping the club win the Bundesliga, while Mbappé scored 42 goals for Real Madrid, who ended the campaign without a trophy.

Yamal scored 24 goals, while Dembélé recorded 20 goals for Paris Saint-Germain, who won the European title.

But Yamal believes his case should not be judged on his goalscoring figures alone.

The Barcelona forward pointed to his playing style, his success with the club and his achievements with Spain as factors that distinguish him from the other contenders.

“On the pitch I enjoy myself. I have also been lucky enough to win a lot of trophies with Barcelona.

“And I won the biggest trophy of them all, the World Cup with my national team. But beyond all that, I think the way I play is the strongest argument and what makes me different,” he said.

Despite his age, Yamal has already built an impressive collection of honours, including the European Championships and World Cup with Spain.

The Champions League remains the major team trophy yet to be added to his list of achievements.

While the Ballon d’Or is clearly one of his ambitions, Yamal insisted that he is not consumed by the prospect of winning it.

“Yes, I dream of winning [the Ballon d’Or],” he said. “I always say that everyone has to aim as high as possible. If I was a waiter, I would want to own the restaurant.”

Yamal also said his broader ambition is to leave a lasting legacy in football rather than spend his career measuring himself against the sport’s greatest names.

“I play to make history, so that in 30 years kids say: ‘He was really good.’ But it’s not an obsession. I never think ‘I want to be better than Pele or Messi.’ I don’t want to compare myself with others.

“I want to be Lamine Yamal. I want to be remembered as Lamine Yamal. I hope to be remembered among the greats. I have the capacity to do it; it depends on me.” (Daily trust)