Jorge Mendes Declares Lamine Yamal Deserves Ballon d’Or

Jorge Mendes has never been shy in big moments, and he did not waste a second this time either.

Before slipping into his car, the super-agent turned to the cameras and doubled down, again and again, on the same message. No nuance. No caveats.

“The Ballon d’Or is for Lamine Yamal, without a doubt,” Mendes said, as quoted by A Bola. “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.”

That last line hung in the air: and you know it. A challenge as much as a statement.

Mendes’ conviction mirrors the confidence of the player himself. Lamine Yamal, the La Masia prodigy who has rocketed from academy promise to global headline act, has already made it clear where he sees his place in the game.

Speaking to Universo Valdano, Yamal was asked the simple question: if he had to give the Ballon d’Or to someone, who would it be?

“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.”

No hesitation. No attempt to play down his status. Just a young star stating his case in the most direct way possible.

The self-belief runs deep. It is not bluster, at least not in his own mind.

“Yes, for me it's very clear, and everyone who watches the matches knows that,” the La Masia graduate added.

Mendes has put his flag in the ground. Yamal has done the same. The debate over the Ballon d’Or will rage on, but one thing is already certain: neither agent nor player plans to back away from the claim that the award should have just one name on it.