Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has said Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. His comments came after Yamal’s record-breaking performance in the Champions League. Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1 in their opening European match of the season.
Yamal was the standout player. He provided two assists. He also scored a stunning free-kick in the 77th minute. This took his career Champions League goal involvements to 21. He now has 11 goals and 10 assists in the competition. He surpassed Kylian Mbappe’s previous record of 20. The record is for the most goal contributions by a teenager in Champions League history.
At 19 years and 58 days, Yamal became the youngest player to score a direct free-kick for a La Liga club in the Champions League. He broke records previously held by Arda Guler and Sergio Aguero.
Barcelona’s other goals came from Raphinha, who scored twice. Gabriel Jesus and Karim Adeyemi also found the net. Sem Steijn scored a late consolation goal for Feyenoord. The match was played at a rain-soaked Camp Nou.
Yamal was named on the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist earlier this week. The winner will be announced in London next month. Flick told reporters that Yamal deserves the award. He said Yamal is special and that no one else has his qualities.
Raphinha also praised his teammate. He said he knows when Yamal loses focus. He tried to encourage him during the match. He was happy Yamal scored because he felt Yamal needed that goal.
Barcelona have now scored 22 goals in their first five matches of the season. This has raised hopes that they can challenge for their first Champions League title since 2015. Flick said he liked his team’s pressing. However, he added that they still have areas to improve. He said the season is long and the team is training hard. He said everyone is hungry to improve. He also said the team needs intensity for their philosophy.
Other Champions League matches listed include PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Fenerbahce vs Roma, Bayern Munich vs Bodoe/Glimt, Slavia Prague vs Lens, Como vs RB Leipzig, and Manchester United vs Sabah FK.
Lamine Yamal Makes Ballon d’Or History With Third Nomination Before Turning 20
Lamine Yamal has set another record. He has now been nominated for the Ballon d’Or three times before turning 20. No other player has done that. France Football put him on the 30-man shortlist on September 8.
Some other players had two nominations before turning 20. Kylian Mbappe was nominated in 2017 at age 18 and finished 7th. He was nominated again in 2018 at age 19 and finished 4th. Wayne Rooney also had two. He was 18 in 2004 and finished 8th. He was 19 in 2005. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each had only one nomination before 20. Michael Owen was 18 in 1998 and finished 4th. Cristiano Ronaldo was 19 in 2004 and finished 12th. Lionel Messi was 19 in 2006 and finished 20th. Neymar was 19 in 2011 and finished 10th.
Yamal was born on July 13, 2007. He helped Spain win Euro 2024. He became the youngest Spanish player to score at a World Cup. Spain won the 2026 World Cup without losing a match.
Yamal is the first player in history to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or three times before age 20. He is the youngest player to score 50 first-team goals for a club in Europe’s top five leagues. He did it at 19 years and 49 days. He is the youngest player to reach 100 first-team appearances for Barcelona. He did it at 17 years and 291 days. He is the youngest player to win both the European Championship and the World Cup. He did it at 19 years and 6 days.
He is also the youngest goalscorer and assist provider in Euro history. His assist came at 16 years and 338 days. His goal came at 16 years and 362 days. He is the youngest starter, goalscorer, and assist provider in La Liga history. His first start was at 16 years and 38 days, and his first goal was at 16 years and 87 days. He is the youngest goalscorer in El Clasico against Real Madrid. He is the first and only player to win back-to-back Kopa Trophies.
Yamal has a long career ahead. He will try to defend his domestic titles with Barcelona. He also wants to keep performing at a high level. He could win his first Ballon d’Or on October 26. He could also win a Golden Boot in the future.
FAQs
Q. Who backed Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or?
A. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick backed Yamal to win it.
Q. How many Champions League goal contributions does Yamal have?
A. Yamal has 21 goal contributions in the competition.
Q. What Champions League record did Yamal break?
A. Yamal broke the teenage record for goal contributions.
Q. How many times has Yamal been nominated for the Ballon d’Or?
A. Yamal has been nominated three times before turning 20.
Q. When will the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner be announced?
A. The winner will be announced in London on October 26.
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