Barcelona captain Raphinha has made his position on the 2026 Ballon d’Or race clear, publicly backing teammate Lamine Yamal to win the prestigious individual award.
Speaking in interviews with The Guardian and La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Brazilian winger said Yamal should win the prize “without a doubt,” highlighting the teenager’s statistics, team achievements and ability to produce moments of individual brilliance.
Raphinha argued that the Ballon d’Or should take several factors into consideration rather than focusing exclusively on goals and assists.
“Winning the Ballon d’Or is about individual statistics, team honours and the magic he has on the pitch.”
He added that charisma and other qualities also matter when determining the winner, before explaining why he believes Yamal possesses all the necessary attributes.
“For me, these are the most important points to win the award. And I think Lamine has them all.”
The comments have attracted significant attention with the Ballon d’Or voting period underway.
Yamal’s Impressive 2026 Résumé
Yamal enters the Ballon d’Or conversation with an impressive list of achievements.
The 19-year-old played a major role as Spain won the 2026 World Cup, while he also helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title.
His individual numbers have added further weight to his candidacy.
During the 2025-26 season, Yamal recorded 16 league goals and 11 assists, while also producing strong performances in the Champions League.
His start to the current campaign has been even more explosive. Yamal has registered seven goals and four assists in his first seven La Liga appearances, continuing to establish himself as one of Barcelona’s most influential attacking players.
For Raphinha, however, the case for Yamal extends beyond statistics.
The Barcelona captain pointed to the teenager’s consistency, his importance to both club and country and his ability to influence matches through his individual quality.
Raphinha Says His Opinion Would Not Change
One particularly notable aspect of Raphinha’s endorsement is that he insists his opinion is not simply the result of being Yamal’s teammate.
The Brazilian said he would hold the same view even if the two players were not playing together at Barcelona.
That adds another dimension to his comments, particularly because Raphinha himself was not included on the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist this year despite another productive campaign.
The Brazilian finished fifth in last year’s voting, while Yamal finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé.
Raphinha’s absence from this year’s shortlist makes his decision to publicly support Yamal particularly notable.
Rather than using the attention to campaign for recognition of his own performances, the Barcelona captain has instead used his platform to advocate for his younger teammate.
Yamal Faces Strong Competition
Yamal is not the only major contender for the award.
Harry Kane remains among the leading candidates after a prolific season with Bayern Munich and England. The England striker is followed in many markets by Yamal, with Rodri and Kylian Mbappé also featuring prominently among the leading names.
Yamal’s supporters point to his extraordinary influence despite his age.
His dribbling ability, creativity and capacity to produce decisive moments have become major components of Barcelona’s attacking play. His ability to beat defenders and create opportunities can sometimes have an impact that is not fully represented by the basic goals-and-assists statistics.
At the same time, questions remain about certain aspects of his résumé.
Sceptics have pointed to Yamal’s relatively modest World Cup scoring return of one goal and questioned whether he has yet produced enough decisive performances in the biggest stages of the Champions League knockout rounds.
Those arguments form part of the wider discussion surrounding his candidacy.
What Should Decide the Ballon d’Or?
Raphinha’s comments also highlight one of the fundamental debates surrounding the Ballon d’Or.
There is no single statistic that completely defines the award.
Individual production, team trophies, performances in major competitions and consistency can all influence how voters assess a player’s season. Raphinha also emphasized the less measurable qualities that he described as “magic” on the pitch.
Yamal’s candidacy therefore represents a combination of different factors.
He has delivered goals and assists, won major trophies with Barcelona and Spain, and established himself as a central figure for both teams despite being only 19.
Whether those achievements are enough will ultimately be determined by the journalists casting their votes.
An Unusual Public Endorsement
Raphinha’s public support is particularly interesting because captains do not often campaign so openly for teammates while Ballon d’Or voting remains active.
His comments effectively make the Barcelona dressing room’s position clear.
Yamal has also previously stated that he believes he deserves to win the award, meaning the teenager has not hidden his own ambition.
Now, with journalists submitting their ballots, attention will turn to how voters evaluate the competing candidates.
Raphinha has made his choice clear, but the final decision will belong to the Ballon d’Or voters.
Ballon d’Or Decision Approaches
The 30-man shortlist has already been announced, with voting closing on September 28 and the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London.
Yamal will therefore have to wait to discover whether his remarkable season has been enough to take the biggest individual prize in football.
For now, he has one of Barcelona’s most influential voices firmly behind him.
Raphinha believes Yamal has the statistics, trophies, consistency, charisma and “magic” required to win the award. Whether the journalists responsible for deciding the winner reach the same conclusion will be revealed when the votes are counted.
Raphinha has made the Barcelona position clear. The final verdict belongs to the voters.
Esther Afriyie Kumah is the Digital Media & Operations Manager and a writer AL Media Sports, the sports division of AL Media Group. She specializes in sports journalism, content and video production, covering Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, and African football with in-depth match reports, tactical analysis, player ratings, and expert insights.