While Thierry Henry didn’t even include him in his top two, Zlatan Ibrahimović deemed Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to be the worthy winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
The 19-year-old superstar is among the frontrunners for what is widely considered to be soccer’s top individual prize, having shone for both Barcelona and Spain last season.
Yamal scored 25 goals and registered 20 assists in 57 matches for club and country in 2025–26, and lifted both the La Liga title and World Cup. He was also named La Liga Player of the Year.
The youngster, who came second in last year’s voting, has been campaigning ahead of the vote. Laying forth his case in a series of interviews last month. “There have been big stars in football, like Leo [Messi], Cristiano [Ronaldo], Diego [Maradona]... but no one had won so much so early,” he argued. “There was the instance of Pelé, but not more recently.”
One man clearly persuaded by Yamal is legendary former forward Ibrahimović, who named the teen phenom as his would-be pick. Asked a series of quick-fire questions by ESPN at the FC 27 launch in New York, the former Barcelona star replied “Yamal” when asked for his Ballon d’Or choice.
Henry, by contrast, plumped for Yamal’s Real Madrid rival. “It’s Kylian Mbappé,” Ibrahimović’s fellow Fox Sports pundit claimed earlier this month. “And yes, people will tell me that he didn’t win anything. I think it happened in history. I think some people need to do their research on that one.
“But for me, it’s Kylian. When you see what he has achieved individually ... Top goal scorer in the Champions League, top goal scorer in La Liga and also the World Cup. Michael Olise has the same thing in terms of assists.”
“I just wanted to explain that there are a lot of people that are candidates and they’re not like Mickey Mouse candidates, in all fairness,” Henry added. “But I will personally go with [Mbappé]. Michael Olise, close.”
Who Are the Favorites for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
Zlatan's picks for some of the biggest awards and league winners in Europe are spicy 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/PC75L9skMQ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 2, 2026
Yamal is currently ranked as the second favorite for the prize by most bookmakers, behind only Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane.
Kane lifted the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2025–26 and scored a phenomenal 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country.
With his tally, the England captain became only the first player since Lionel Messi in 2011–12 to surpass the 70-goal mark in a single season.
Next on most of the favorites lists is Real Madrid and France striker Mbappé, the man who became the top scorer in World Cup history this summer, followed by the likes of Rodri (Barcelona/Spain), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain/Georgia) and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina).
Were 19-year-old Yamal to win the award he would become the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner—surpassing the previous youngest player, Ronaldo Nazario, who won in 1997 and the age of 21.
When Is the Ceremony?
The Ballon d’Or ceremony, organized by France Football magazine, has been held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris since 2019, but a change of venue has been confirmed ahead of the 2026 festivities.
For the first time ever, the U.K.’s iconic London Palladium will host the ceremony on Oct. 26, a decision made to honor inaugural Ballon d’Or winner Stanley Matthews, one of only four Englishmen to have scooped the prize, 70 years on from the first ever award.
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