Lamine Yamal’s Father Accuses Real Madrid Influence of Costing Barcelona Star 2026 Ballon d’Or

Mounir Nasraoui, father of Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, has criticised the 2026 Ballon d’Or voting process, suggesting that Real Madrid’s influence played a role in his son’s failure to finish higher in the rankings.

Yamal finished third with 881 points, behind Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who won the award with 1,055 points, and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, who finished second with 1,027 points.

Kane claimed the prestigious honour following an outstanding season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England. His victory made him the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

The ceremony was held at the London Palladium on October 26, with Yamal missing out on the top prize for the second consecutive year. The Spanish international finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé in the previous edition.

Reacting to the latest result, Nasraoui suggested that Mbappé benefited from his association with Real Madrid, alleging that some Spanish voters favoured the French forward because of his club affiliation.

Speaking on journalist Jota Jordi’s YouTube channel, Yamal’s father said he wanted an opportunity to question those who voted for Mbappé.

“I wish one day to see on screen one of those who voted for Mbappé, and I would like to speak with him, and you too, my friend, one of Mbappé’s fans,” Nasraoui said.

He also questioned the influence of club loyalty on individual football awards, arguing that the Ballon d’Or should recognise individual performances rather than favour a particular team.

“This thing only happens here in Spain. If the best player in the world plays for Real Madrid, then vote for the national team! I’m not saying it’s an award for a player and not for a team. We are in the twenty-first century, man!” he added.

Unlike his father, Yamal adopted a more measured response to his third-place finish, expressing confidence that he would eventually win the Ballon d’Or.

A day after the ceremony, the Barcelona forward took to Instagram to reflect on the outcome after receiving his third consecutive Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player in the world.

During the ceremony, Yamal had also suggested that the award should have gone to his Barcelona teammate, Pau Cubarsí.

In his Instagram message, the 19-year-old congratulated the winners, saying that good things take time and expressing confidence that his opportunity to lift the Ballon d’Or would eventually come.

He also indicated that his attention had returned to football, with his immediate priority being to help Barcelona return to winning ways.