Barcelona star Lamine Yamal says the Ballon d’Or should reward more than goals, pointing to creativity, style and the ability to entertain fans.
Yamal, who finished behind Ousmane Dembélé last year, is again among the contenders alongside Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane. The winner will be announced in London on October 26.
“It’s fun that there are more players [up for the prize], more debate and people can have different opinions,” he told L’Equipe.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to the journalists. It’s a difficult job for them. We all have good arguments to win it. We are all great players, so let’s see,” Yamal said.
He said the award should honour players who make fans dream, citing Messi and Ronaldinho, rather than simply goal numbers.
Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern, Mbappé 42 for Real Madrid, Yamal 24 and Dembélé 20 for PSG.
Yamal highlighted his trophies with Barcelona and Spain, including the European Championships and World Cup, while noting the Champions League is still missing.
“Yes, I dream of winning [the Ballon d’Or],” he said. “I always say that everyone has to aim as high as possible. If I was a waiter, I would want to own the restaurant.”
He wants to build his own legacy rather than compare himself with Pele or Messi.
“I want to be Lamine Yamal. I want to be remembered as Lamine Yamal. I hope to be remembered among the greats. I have the capacity to do it; it depends on me.”
