After claiming that the pool of potential Ballon d’Or winners consisted solely of himself and Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal has now accepted that Lionel Messi’s bid for a record-extending ninth triumph was not “nonsense.”
During the most open Ballon d’Or race in decades, some of the leading contenders have tried to sway the 100 journalists voting on the award by openly campaigning. Harry Kane has braved several interviews while Kylian Mbappé appears to be more internationally quoted than Donald Trump. Yamal has embarked upon his media onslaught. Like any other 19-year-old, he has come to regret some of his statements.
