Lamine Yamal’s uncle predicts five Ballon d’Or wins after Harry Kane triumph

Lamine Yamal’s uncle has dismissed Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or success as a “farewell gift”, insisting his nephew is the best player in the world.

Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or in England, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe in second place and Yamal in third. The Barcelona forward did, however, claim the Kopa Trophy for the third time as the leading young player.

Kane’s victory came after a season in which he won the European Golden Shoe with 36 Bundesliga goals and scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country in all competitions. He also finished third at the 2026 World Cup and helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga and the German Cup.

The award made Kane the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001. Those achievements, though, failed to convince Yamal’s family that he was the deserving winner.

Cameras and microphones were present at Yamal’s uncle’s bar as the ceremony was watched live from London on the Cadena SER programme El Larguero. They captured the disappointment of his uncle and those with him, who had believed Yamal would take the prize.

Speaking to Cadena SER shortly after Kane was announced as the winner, Yamal’s uncle Abdul said: “My nephew was magnificent. He is the best player in the world, everyone knows that. If you are a football fan, you should watch Lamine, not Harry Kane.”

He added: “The Englishman is a fine striker, yes, but my nephew is the best player because of the outstanding way he performs on the pitch. He is the one who makes the difference.”

‘He only has three days left’

Abdul then offered his own explanation for Yamal’s defeat, saying: “He did not win because Lamine is young. He is 19 and will win more, but Harry only has three days left in football, and we gave him the award.”

The comments quickly attracted attention on social media.

Abdul also argued that Yamal’s achievements were significantly greater than Kane’s, saying: “He has won the World Cup, La Liga and the Super Cup. He plays brilliantly, he had an incredible season, he scores goals that nobody else can score, he provides passes and assists everything.”

Yamal’s disappointment echoed the situation involving Andres Iniesta and Xavi in 2010. Both had helped Spain win the World Cup but missed out on the Ballon d’Or, which went to Lionel Messi.

Despite the setback, Abdul said his nephew’s disappointment would not last and ended with a confident prediction: “He will win five Ballon d’Or awards.”