Joan Laporta backs Lamine Yamal to win future Ballon d’Or after missing out on 2026 award

Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes Lamine Yamal will eventually win the Ballon d’Or after the Spanish winger finished third in the 2026 rankings.

Laporta maintains that the 19-year-old deserved to claim the prestigious individual award but insists the result should motivate him to achieve greater success in the future.

“I am convinced that he will end up winning the Ballon d’Or. I don’t know when, but he has deserved it,” Laporta said.

The Barcelona president also urged Yamal and his teammates to use the outcome as motivation, expressing confidence that the young forward would quickly overcome the disappointment.

Laporta questions Ballon d’Or outcome

Yamal finished behind Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who won the award, and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé.

The winger had placed second in the 2025 rankings, meaning he has again missed out on the top prize despite his standing among the leading players of his generation.

“In my opinion, he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, but the voters decided this way,” he explained. “It was a sporting decision…let this serve as motivation for him personally, because I’m sure it will. All his teammates will help him get over this disappointment quickly.”

Despite his disappointment, Yamal collected the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, having also won the award in 2024 and 2025.

The honour recognises his achievements among young players and further underlines his growing influence in world football.

Barcelona maintain confidence in Yamal

Laporta’s comments reflect Barcelona’s belief in Yamal as a central figure in the club’s sporting project.

Although the Ballon d’Or remains an ambition for the teenager, the club president is confident that he will have further opportunities to claim the award in the coming years.

Barcelona are also seeking to recover from their recent 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid in El Clásico as they continue their campaigns in La Liga and the Champions League.

Laporta has insisted that the result against their rivals will not change the club’s ambitions for the season.

“We’ll accept it with good sportsmanship and let it motivate us to move forward,” he concluded. “Our expectations for this season remain unchanged.”