BARCELONA — Lamine Yamal has played down Ousmane Dembélé’s decision to leave him out of his top three choices in the Ballon d’Or debate, joking that the Paris Saint Germain forward may have been influenced by his close relationship with Kylian Mbappé.

The Barcelona winger was asked about Dembélé’s selections after the Frenchman named other players among his preferred candidates for the award.

Yamal responded with a smile.

“He’s Kylian Mbappé’s friend, right?”

The 19 year old was quick to make clear that the comment was light hearted and that there was no problem between him and Dembélé.

“My relationship with Ousmane is very good, and I understand that he wants to choose other players,” Yamal said.

The Spain international also suggested that some of the reaction may simply reflect the competitive nature of their meetings on the pitch.

“I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we faced each other, I probably did something that made them dislike me. And that’s normal,” he said.

Yamal nevertheless remains confident about his own performances and believes his season has been strong enough to keep him firmly in the conversation for football’s biggest individual prize.

“But I’m very happy with what I delivered this year, and I’m confident that everyone watched it, even if he didn’t,” he added.

The comments come as debate around the 2026 Ballon d’Or intensifies following the release of the official 30 man shortlist.

Yamal is among the nominees after another major season with Barcelona and Spain, while Dembélé is also on the list as he looks to retain the award he won in 2025.

Mbappé, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and Rodri are also among the leading names on the shortlist.

The award will take into account performances across the 2025 and 2026 season, including the 2026 World Cup, where Spain emerged as champions.

Yamal played a prominent role in Spain’s successful campaign and has continued his strong form at club level.

He has also started the new LaLiga season brightly, scoring four goals in his opening four matches for Barcelona.

Two of those goals came against Rayo Vallecano, while he scored another two against Valencia.

Despite the growing Ballon d’Or attention, Yamal has insisted that he does not intend to launch a personal campaign for votes.

Speaking ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League opener, he said he believed his performances should speak for themselves and that he had no intention of asking publicly for individual recognition.

His exchange over Dembélé’s choices therefore appeared to be more playful than confrontational.

The pair have faced each other in high profile matches in recent seasons, including meetings between Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain, while Yamal has also come up against France at international level.

For now, the Barcelona forward remains one of the most closely watched names in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race as voting and debate continue ahead of the ceremony later this year.