Lamine Yamal’s goalscoring surge puts Barcelona forward in Ballon d’Or race

Lamine Yamal has transformed his recent form in front of goal, scoring seven times in four matches for Barcelona as he strengthens his case for the Ballon d’Or.

The Spain international has become the first Barcelona player to score three successive doubles in La Liga, achieving the feat against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Levante. He is the first player to do so since Lionel Messi in April 2017 and Robert Lewandowski in October 2024.

Yamal added a direct free-kick against Feyenoord to those six goals, producing an exceptional scoring run for Barcelona’s number 10. The teenager has increasingly shown that his game is not limited to beating defenders, creating chances and supplying assists.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, his progress is clear when compared with his previous campaigns. Yamal scored only two goals in his first seven Barcelona matches last year, when he also began suffering from groin pain. In 2024-2025, he managed three goals during the same period. He has now doubled or surpassed those figures, underlining his rapid improvement in front of goal.

Ball control and finishing have become regular areas of work for Yamal, while he has also devoted more attention to free-kicks and penalties.

He was not previously regarded as a specialist from set pieces. Yamal was affected by the penalty he missed against the Netherlands in the 2025 Nations League quarter-final, although that attempt came in a shootout. In competitive matches, he has missed only one penalty during normal play, against Girona.

Yamal regularly stays behind after team training to practise free-kicks with Raphinha, Pedri, Olmo and Fermin. His development in that area bears similarities to Lionel Messi, who paid little attention to free-kicks early in his career before learning from Deco and Ronaldinho that set pieces could significantly improve his goalscoring figures.

The Barcelona forward remains an outstanding creative player, enjoying successful dribbles and precise passes with the outside of his foot towards the runs of Raphinha, Gordon and Adeyemi. But he has also recognised that, following the departures of Lewandowski and Ferran, the team needs a substantial increase in his goalscoring contribution.

Yamal told the Universo Valdano programme: “I deserve it,” referring to the Ballon d’Or. Voting closes after England play Spain at Wembley, giving him an opportunity to strengthen his claim. Before that match, he will face Racing and Sevilla.

He has rejected suggestions that he was frustrated with himself or others after the World Cup. Asked about his serious expression during Barcelona’s match against Elche, he said: “I’ve had the best summer of my life and I’m happy.”

After showing signs of recovery and a strong return against Athletic Bilbao, Yamal’s form has soared. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given the go-ahead for an official campaign supporting his bid to win the award in London on 26 October, after the club and other institutions backed him.