Laporta: Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or, and losing El Clásico is a heavy blow

Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, stated that Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d'Or 2026, highlighting his individual talent and the titles he has achieved. He also spoke about the team's loss to Real Madrid in the LaLiga clásico.

Joan Laporta stated before the announcement of Harry Kane winning the award: "We believe that Lamine Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or due to his individual talent and the titles he has won. He is very excited, and it would sadden us greatly if he does not win it. We knew nothing, as the organizers of the award are very secretive, and there was a lot of ambiguity."

Following FC Barcelona's 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid, the club's president stated: "It was a harsh blow, but the players are young and recover quickly. We couldn't showcase our style of play, but we are still at the top of LaLiga, and our aspirations remain intact. Hans Flick is the perfect coach for Barcelona."

Lamine Yamal finished third in the previous Ballon d'Or race, behind Kylian Mbappé, while Rodri placed fourth and Pau Cubarsí came in twelfth.