Raphinha Backs Lamine Yamal for 2026 Ballon d'Or Win

Raphinha, a forward for FC Barcelona, has publicly supported his teammate Lamine Yamal as the deserving winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Despite Raphinha not being nominated, Yamal is among the 30 nominees shortlisted for the prestigious award.

At just 19 years old, Yamal is considered a frontrunner for the accolade due to his impressive performance, having won multiple trophies with Barcelona and the Spanish national team, including the World Cup. Raphinha expressed his admiration for Yamal, stating, “Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d’Or by a mile,” and highlighted Yamal's statistics and trophy wins as evidence of his exceptional talent.

Raphinha emphasized the excitement Yamal brings to the game, noting that “people will pay whatever it takes to watch him play, and I would pay it too.”.