At just eighteen, Lamine Yamal is already talking like a legend in the making. In a recent appearance on the podcast Resonancia de Corazón, the Barcelona prodigy dropped a line that captured the sport’s imagination: “I don’t dream of winning one Ballon d’Or—I dream of winning many of them.” His words were not boastful so much as quietly assured, an honest appraisal of understanding his own ability and the weight of his ambition.
Yamal followed it with a clear-eyed admission of personal responsibility: “I believe I am a player capable of achieving that, and if I don’t achieve it, it will be because I didn’t do things the right way, not because I didn’t want to.” It’s a rare blend of confidence and humility—he sees the path ahead and accepts that the journey will demand excellence at every turn.
This is more than dreams. Yamal’s performances have recently put him squarely in the Ballon d’Or conversation. In June, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente called him “the best player in the world” after a breathtaking Nations League semi-final, where Yamal scored twice to carry Spain past France in a 5–4 thriller. It was a performance that not only helped send La Roja to the final, but also sharpened the debate over whether he or Ousmane Dembélé should hoist the Ballon next September.
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His rival Dembele, fresh off a treble with Paris St-Germain, remains a formidable challenger—but Yamal countered the theatrics around one big game. He emphasized that the Ballon shouldn’t hinge on a single match, but be awarded to the player who delivered consistently across the year.
Behind the headlines lies a player driven not just by talent, but by a reverence for effort and a belief in process. He confides that his mother is his constant reminder of why he laces up each morning: “I try to give my all. That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football.”
In his statement lies his essence: a rare fusion of teenager and tactician, youth and introspection. He doesn’t just wish to win—he intends to earn his place among the game’s immortals. And when he does, he’ll almost certainly want more.
