Flick: Lamine Yamal and Mbappe deserve the Ballon d'Or
Flick's comments on the Ballon d'Or
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
Hansi Flick, the German manager of La Liga champions Barcelona, praised the self-confidence of Lamine Yamal after the latter stated in a media interview that he and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé are among the best players in the world and deserve to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Speaking at a press conference, Flick said, “Lamine? I think he’s just being honest. He has that self-confidence, and he has shown how strong he is at the start of this season. He is an exceptional player. I would have preferred if he hadn’t said it, but it’s natural that he wants to win the Ballon d’Or; it’s an important award. He’s expressing how he feels, and I will continue to support him.”
Flick added, “What I like is that he shows that confidence on the pitch as well. We all love watching him play like that. When he dribbles past one, two, or three players, the entire stadium cheers in admiration!”
He continued, “That’s Lamine. It’s wonderful to have a player like him. He says he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or, and I think he does. He has won two titles with us and the World Cup with Spain, so why not?”
The 19-year-old winger, who finished second in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting behind France’s Ousmane Dembélé, stated in an interview to be broadcast in full next Friday on Movistar that he deserves to win the award this year, ahead of Mbappé.
He affirmed, “In my opinion, Mbappé and I are the best players in the world. That’s very clear, and anyone who watches the matches knows it.”
When asked about the topic, his manager, 61-year-old Flick, expressed his support but admitted he would be “very happy” when the Ballon d’Or campaign concludes.
The German coach, whose contract with Barcelona runs until 2028, expressed his delight at hosting the 2029 UEFA Champions League final at Camp Nou, which is still undergoing renovation works, but did not commit to remaining as the club’s manager until that time.
The former Bayern Munich and Germany national team coach clarified, “I will be there, for sure… either as a manager or as a Barcelona fan. No one knows what the future holds in the world of football, as things change quickly. I love living in Barcelona and coaching this wonderful team, but nothing is guaranteed.”
Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions for the past two seasons and current league leaders, are aiming for a sixth consecutive victory on Wednesday against newly promoted Racing Santander.
