Lamine Yamal broke the silence on missing out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or by stating that all good things take time. The youngster finished third in the final Ballon d’Or rankings, and some of the fans were
surprised at his relatively low finish. The Spanish winger was a part of the national squad that won the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was also a key player for FC Barcelona across all competitions with his prolific goal contributions throughout the season. Yamal was in fine form for both Spain and FC Barcelona, but yet he fell short of the mark. Some of the experts claimed that if he was consistent in the FIFA World Cup, then he could have had a better chance of winning the award.
“It’ll come. Good things take time, and I trust the path I’m building. There’s no rush. I’m full of hope and confidence that one day my moment will come. Congratulations to the winners. My focus now returns to what really matters: helping Barcelona win again,” wrote Lamine Yamal on his Instagram post after the 2026 Ballon d’Or award ceremony. The youngster remains confident in winning the award in the future and he assured that his focus is back on track with the Catalans.
🚨 Lamine Yamal: “It’ll come. Good things take time, and I trust the path I’m building. There’s no rush. I’m full of hope and confidence that one day my moment will come”.
“Congratulations to the winners. My focus now returns to what really matters: helping Barcelona win again”. https://t.co/w68oBuidbs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 27, 2026
Yamal shifts his focus back on helping Barcelona win major titles
The FC Barcelona winger has firmly established himself in world football as one of the best forwards. Lamine Yamal won the Men’s Young Talent of the Year for the third consecutive year and he became the first player ever to achieve the feat. In the highly anticipated 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, Yamal secured a third place finish, behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. The English forward enjoyed a magnificent season with Bayern Munich as they won the domestic treble. He also played a key role in guiding the England squad as captain to a third place finish in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the 2025 edition of the Ballon d’Or, Lamine Yamal finished second behind Ousmane Dembele. The French forward was in the form of his life in the 2025 season as he won the historic sextuple with PSG. The 19-year-old was in terrific form for two consecutive seasons but the lack of silverware at the highest stage continues to haunt his ambitions. FC Barcelona would be keen on winning the league title along with the UEFA Champions League this season. The Spanish forward could make a strong case for himself in the upcoming season with consistent performances for both Spain and FC Barcelona.
While Lamine Yamal may have to wait a little longer for the senior accolade, his extraordinary performance in the 2026 season did not go unrecognised. He has been arguably the best young talent in world football, and his individual contributions for FC Barcelona suggest the same. Yamal would be keen on helping the Catalans win some more silverware in the 2027 season, and the voting could fall in his favour in the 2027 Ballon d’Or awards.
