Moroccan Ballon d’Or voter ranks Achraf Hakimi above Lamine Yamal

A Moroccan journalist did not place Lamine Yamal at the top of his 2026 Ballon d’Or vote, instead selecting fellow Moroccan Achraf Hakimi first and ranking the Barcelona forward third, according to the full voting details published by France Football.

Kylian Mbappe was named second on the journalist’s list, putting Hakimi ahead of both the Paris Saint-Germain forward and Yamal.

The vote has renewed attention on Yamal’s decision to represent Spain rather than Morocco. Born and raised in Spain, the teenager chose La Roja in September 2023 despite efforts from the Moroccan federation to persuade him to play for the Atlas Lions, using his father’s Moroccan heritage as part of its appeal.

Yamal had made his preference clear, having represented Spain at youth level from the under-15 team onwards. He said his ambition was to win the biggest trophies in the Spain shirt.

Since making that decision, Yamal has become one of Spain’s leading players and helped the national side win the European Championship, alongside his other achievements with the team.

Hakimi leads Moroccan journalist’s vote

The list, highlighted by Spanish newspaper AS, showed Hakimi in first place, followed by Mbappe and then Yamal. It represented a clear preference for the Moroccan Paris Saint-Germain defender, although Yamal still featured among the journalist’s top three.

Hakimi was the only Moroccan player to top the voting list submitted by a representative of his own country.

Yamal also finished third in the overall 2026 Ballon d’Or standings, collecting 881 points. He was behind England’s Harry Kane and France’s Kylian Mbappe.

His third-place position in the Moroccan journalist’s selection therefore matched his final place in the award’s general ranking, but he did not receive the top vote from the Moroccan representative. That position went to Hakimi after France Football published the complete lists from every voter in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race.