What Happened? Lamine Yamal Says He Does Not Deserve the 2026 Best Young Player Award (Copa Trophy)
Lamine Yamal is one of the most talked-about footballers worldwide in recent years.
His personal form with Spain's national team and Barcelona has been excellent. Yamal led "La Roja" to win Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. Additionally, with Barcelona, he helped secure two consecutive La Liga titles.
Yamal is among the top three finalists for this year's Ballon d'Or, alongside Kylian Mbappé, the star striker for Real Madrid and France, and Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich striker and England national team player.
Before the 2026 Ballon d'Or, he had already won the Best Young Player award (Copa Trophy), competing against Pau Cubarsí, Warren Zaire-Emery, Lennart Carl, Yan Diomandé, Ayoub Bouaddi, Kerim Alajbovich, Junior Krupi, Ibrahim Maza, and Johan Mansambi.
After receiving the award, Yamal surprised many by stating that his Barcelona teammate and 2026 World Cup-winning compatriot Pau Cubarsí deserved the award more than himself.
He said, "I think this award should belong to Pau Cubarsí. I believe he deserves it the most."
“Although Cubarsí missed out this time, there is no doubt he will have many opportunities to win trophies in the future.”
Why did Yamal say this?
1. Personal closeness: Both grew up together at Barcelona’s La Masia academy and once shared a dorm room there. Yamal's praise for Cubarsí comes from genuine bond, not mere courtesy.
2. Reducing pressure and preserving image.
Yamal has won the Copa Trophy three years in a row, a record no one else has achieved. Showing humility helps avoid the image of "the kid sweeping all awards alone" and promotes team unity.
3. On-field perspective: Skilled defenders often get overlooked compared to goal-scoring forwards. Yamal likely knows Cubarsí’s value to the team exceeds what statistics show.
4. Confidence in bigger goals: This is important because he is contending for the Ballon d'Or… The Copa Trophy may not be his main target, which explains his comments.
What do you think? Lamine Yamal is yet to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Is Harry Kane, Bayern Munich's striker who won the award, truly deserving? Share your comments and join the discussion.