Ballon d’Or 2026: Mbappe Responds to Yamal’s Bold Claim

Lamine Yamal’s claim that he should win the 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe has drawn a measured response from the Real Madrid star.

Yamal recently identified himself and Mbappe as the two leading players in the world before arguing that he deserves the prestigious individual award more than the France captain.

Mbappe did not engage in the comparison when asked about the comments.

Instead, the Real Madrid forward highlighted Yamal’s talent and backed the Barcelona youngster to have a successful career.

“I think he is an extremely talented player” Mbappe told Jose Felix Diaz, editorial director of AS.

“I have a feeling he will have a brilliant career. I wish him, his family and everyone around him all the best.”

The comments came ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Raphinha Runs Riot as Barcelona Thrash Racing Santander 7-2

Barcelona produced a devastating attacking masterclass to crush Racing Santander 7-2 at Spotify Camp Nou, with Raphinha scoring a hat-trick as the Catalan giants made club history. The emphatic victory marked the first time in Barcelona’s history that the club has opened a season with seven consecutive wins across all competitions — a milestone that underscores the remarkable transformation under manager Hansi Flick.

Barcelona dominated the contest from start to finish, finishing with 69% possession and an expected goals tally of 6.65 compared to Racing’s 1.86. The hosts were relentless in attack, scoring 33 goals in their first seven matches this season — an average of nearly five goals per game. Raphinha was the undisputed star of the show, scoring in the 25th, 42nd and 67th minutes, with his first and third goals coming from the penalty spot. The Brazilian forward, thriving in a central role as Barcelona’s centre-forward, has now scored nine league goals in six matches and 11 goals in all competitions this season.

João Cancelo opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a spectacular 25-yard strike that crashed in off the underside of the crossbar. The Portuguese defender’s powerful effort set the tone for a high-scoring afternoon. Raphinha doubled Barcelona’s lead from the penalty spot in the 25th minute after being brought down by Pedro Felipe. The Brazilian confidently converted into the bottom right corner. Racing Santander briefly responded through Maguette Gueye on 30 minutes, the Senegalese forward controlling the ball superbly before poking it home to make it 2-1. However, Barcelona swiftly restored their two-goal cushion when a fierce Cancelo strike deflected heavily off Asier Villalibre and into the net for an own goal in the 36th minute. Raphinha struck again in the 42nd minute, finishing clinically after latching onto a precise pass from Dani Olmo to make it 4-1 before half-time. Just before the break, Lamine Yamal stepped up to take a penalty but his effort was brilliantly saved by Santander goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.

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The action-packed encounter continued after the interval. Wojciech Szczesny, who replaced the injured Joan Garcia at half-time, suffered a fatal lapse in concentration, surrendering possession deep in his own half. Yassir Zabiri immediately pounced on the careless mistake and finished comfortably to reduce the deficit to 4-2 in the 65th minute. Any lingering hopes of a miraculous comeback were swiftly extinguished. Raphinha completed his hat-trick with another emphatic penalty in the 67th minute, extending the scoreline to 5-2 and putting the game firmly out of reach. Substitute Gabriel Jesus then joined the scoring party, calmly slotting the ball into the far corner of the net to make it 6-2 in the 79th minute, assisted by Lamine Yamal. Yamal finally got his deserved goal in the 89th minute, finishing off a devastating counter-attack set up by Karim Adeyemi to complete the 7-2 rout.

Speaking after the match, Raphinha remained focused on continued improvement despite his outstanding performance. “It’s always important to think you need to improve in some way,” Raphinha told DAZN. “So I’ll never tell you I’m at my best level, because… I always try to improve as much as I can, and give more to the team than I am given. I’m happy for the goals, for the win, but we have to keep improving, not just individually but as a team too.”

Hansi Flick praised his side’s mentality and pressing after the emphatic victory. “This is our mentality, this is the way we want to play. I told the players, ‘When we lose the ball, we have to go out and press. Not one player, not two players, but everyone together’…and they did it, and that’s great to see,” Flick said. The German coach also defended Wojciech Szczesny after the goalkeeper’s error that allowed Racing to score their second goal. “Of course, as a goalkeeper, Tek made one mistake, but we all make mistakes, so that’s normal.” Flick added: “I’m happy. I like the way we play. I like the goals, I like the result.”

Barcelona’s victory was tempered by a potential injury concern for goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who was substituted at half-time after appearing to hurt himself while slipping on the wet pitch. Flick confirmed after the match: “Joan had some knee issues. We have to wait to know exactly what is going on.” The Spain international will undergo further tests, though Flick is hopeful he will be fit for the weekend.

Barcelona secured their sixth consecutive La Liga victory and seventh successive win across all competitions, taking their tally to 18 points at the top of the table. The win restored their three-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Racing Santander, a promoted side, occupy tenth place with 7 points. Their captain Aaron Martin acknowledged the gap in quality after the match: “We knew that when we best managed to get out from the back with the ball we gave it away, and they did us a lot of damage. We know the level they have… we have to continue and forget about this game.”

Raphinha Runs Riot as Barcelona Thrash Racing Santander 7-2

‘I Was Never the Chosen One’ — Dembele Responds to Mbappe

Ousmane Dembele has pushed back against Kylian Mbappe’s description of their different career paths as the two France teammates compete for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Mbappe, speaking to France Football, said Dembele had always been recognised as a talented player, while he had been viewed as “the chosen one”.

The comment appeared to prompt a pointed response from Dembele following PSG’s victory over Brest.

The current Ballon d’Or holder said he had spent much of his career working without receiving the same level of recognition.

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“I was always at the back of the class, working hard” Dembele said. “I was never the chosen one.”

He went on to say that he had kept working throughout his career and was rewarded last year after an outstanding season with PSG.

The exchange comes as both players prepare for another contest for the biggest individual prize in football.

Dembele is among the nominees after winning the award in 2025, while Mbappe is also on the 30-player shortlist. Other leading names include Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal.

The winner will be announced on October 26 at the London Palladium, where the Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held for the first time.

For now, the remarks have added an extra layer to the competition between the two France stars, although neither player has publicly described their relationship as a feud.

‘I Was Never the Chosen One’ — Dembele Responds to Mbappe