Jorge Mendes Declares Lamine Yamal Deserves Ballon d'Or

Jorge Mendes has never been shy in his convictions, but this time he left no room for debate.

Standing by his car and surrounded by reporters, the super-agent hammered home his message, line after line, as quoted by A Bola: "The Ballon d'Or is for Lamine Yamal, without a doubt. The Ballon d'Or is for Lamine Yamal, he's the one who deserves it most. He is the best in the world, by a wide margin, and you know it."

No caveats. No maybes. Just a clear declaration that the award belongs to Barcelona’s young star.

The confidence around Yamal is not limited to his representative. It starts with the player himself. Speaking on Universo Valdano, the La Masia product was asked the classic question: who should win the Ballon d'Or?

"Who would I give it to? The best player in the world," he replied. "Honestly, as far as the best player in the world is concerned, maybe there are two of us, me and Mbappe. And I think I would deserve it this year because of what I've achieved."

It was the kind of answer that splits opinion but perfectly captures the mentality of a footballer aiming for the very top. Yamal did not blink, did not soften the claim, and pushed the idea even further.

"Yes, for me it's very clear, and everyone who watches the matches knows that," he added.

Between the agent’s rallying cry and the player’s own unshakeable belief, one thing is obvious: if the Ballon d'Or conversation turns into a battle of conviction, Lamine Yamal and his camp are ready to fight it all the way.