Video: ‘He’s Mbappé’s friend,’ Yamal reacts after Dembélé’ snub him in Ballon d’Or ranking
Lamine Yamal
Abdullateef Fowewe
Barcelona star, Lamine Yamal has responded with a smile and a one-liner after reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé left him out of his personal top three for the 2026 award.
Speaking after Dembélé named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé as his leading candidates, the 19-year-old Yamal quipped, “He’s Kylian Mbappé’s friend, right?”
He quickly added a more measured take.
“I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we faced each other, I probably did something that made them dislike me! And that’s normal. My relationship with Ousmane is very good, and I understand that he wants to choose other players.
“But I’m very happy with what I delivered this year, and I’m confident that everyone watched it, even if he didn’t.”
The exchange comes against a familiar backdrop.
Dembélé claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or after PSG’s treble-winning campaign, finishing well clear of Yamal, who came second and also collected a second consecutive Kopa Trophy as the world’s best under-21 player.
With the 2026 nominees set to be revealed, Dembélé still at Paris Saint-Germain predicted the award would remain with a PSG player while listing his top three and later acknowledging Yamal among several others who had strong cases.
