Ballon d’Or 2026: My Time Will Come, Yamal Tells Fans After Finishing Third
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has vowed to keep working towards winning the Ballon d’Or after finishing third in the 2026 rankings, insisting that he believes his moment will eventually arrive. The 19-year-old Spain international shared the message in a Facebook post on Tuesday, a day after Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane reportedly claimed the prestigious individual award ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe and Yamal. “My time will come. Good things take time, and I trust the path I’m building,” Yamal wrote. He added that he remained ambitious and patient as he continued to develop his career. “No rush, with plenty of ambition, and with the calmness that comes from knowing my moment will arrive one day,” he said. Yamal also congratulated the winners and shifted his attention to Barcelona’s immediate priorities, saying he wanted to help the club return to winning ways. “Congratulations to the winners. My focus now returns to what matters most: bringing Barcelona back to winning ways,” he wrote. Although he missed out on the main award, Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, recognising the best young player. His comments followed Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clasico, a result that increased the pressure on the Catalan club to respond in their upcoming fixtures.