Kylian Mbappe’s chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or have sparked debate among former France internationals. 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu has backed Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal over Mbappe to win the award. Speaking to Telefoot, he said that PSG stars Khvicha Kvaratskshelia and Ousmane Dembele are the other front-runners alongside Yamal. However, he didn’t name Mbappe in his top three picks for the honour this year.
“I will try to stick to my criteria, which are primarily collective. There was a season with two major competitions: the Champions League and the World Cup. So it will come down to Kvaratskhelia, Yamal and Dembélé. And then the other criterion is the thrill, the genius. And there, for me, only Yamal remains,” Lizarazu said.
“What he does on a pitch, especially recently, he has raised his level even further. It is true that his World Cup was not incredible, but he is still a world champion, he won the Spanish league and he is a phenomenal player,” he added.
Lamine Yamal opens up on Ballon d’Or fight with Kylian Mbappe
On the other hand, Lamine Yamal opened up on his Ballon d’Or fight with Kylian Mbappe and had said that they have made it hard for the journalists this year. Yamal said that they have done their best for the award and added that he has the upper hand. “It’s fun that there are more players [up for the prize], more debate and people can have different opinions. At the end of the day, it comes down to the journalists. It’s a difficult job for them. We all have good arguments to win it. We are all great players, so let’s see,” Yamal had said.
“The Ballon d’Or is for the best player of the year, someone different, someone we have enjoyed watching, who has that magic, makes you smile and look forward to watching games just to see them play. It’s not to do with the sheer number of goals. When I think of the Ballon d’Or, I think of [Lionel] Messi, Ronaldinho… different players, players that make you dream,” he added.
The Ballon d’Or gala takes place on October 26 in London, United Kingdom, with Yamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe have emerged as the frontrunners.
