Lamine Yamal questions modern Ballon d’Or criteria and explains what should matter: ‘People prioritise factors that have nothing to do with it’

Lamine Yamal questions modern Ballon d’Or criteria and explains what should matter: ‘People prioritise factors that have nothing to do with it’ Lamine Yamal has finally given his full explanation on the Ballon d’Or , and the Barcelona winger believes the award has moved away from what he considers its central purpose: identifying the best footballer in the world. After several days of previews from his appearance on Movistar Plus’ Universo Valdano , the complete interview has now provided more detail on Yamal’s thinking.  His argument is that team trophies, individual statistics and the identity of a player’s club should not automatically determine the winner. Yamal questions how the Ballon d’Or is judged Yamal began by comparing the current landscape with the era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.  In his view, there was less confusion over the award when those two players were competing for it. “That award is being judged differently now. When Messi and Cristiano were around, everyone knew they were the two best in the world, so the award was shared between the two players.” Lamine Yamal appears quite clear about the Ballon d’Or criteria. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) He then explained why he believes Champions League success should not automatically decide the individual prize, using Paris Saint-Germain as an example. “The problem now is that people are prioritising factors that have nothing to do with the Ballon d’Or. For example, when they say a PSG player has to win it because they’ve won the Champions League .” Yamal’s distinction is straightforward: winning a major competition should be recognised separately from being judged the world’s best individual player. “When you win the Champions League, PSG are awarded the Champions League trophy for being the best team, and that’s the prize that belongs to PSG. He made the same argument about goalscoring statistics. “Not to a player who’s scored 80 goals, because when you score 80 goals, you’re given the ‘top scorer’ award for the season. These are very different things that people aren’t understanding. Why football means more to Yamal than statistics The Barcelona star also explained why statistics do not always tell him whether he has enjoyed a match.  His footballing education, he says, was based on watching complete games rather than checking individual numbers. “I grew up watching football back when we used to watch the whole match, from the first minute to the ninetieth. I didn’t open the app to check how many goals or assists each player had scored. Yamal pointed to Mesut Ozil as an example of the type of player he appreciated, even without huge scoring numbers. “That was the time when everyone enjoyed football; you’d see an attacking midfielder who might not have scored 20 goals but was a joy to watch – like Ozil, for example, who I really liked. That outlook also influences his response after matches. A performance without a goal does not necessarily leave him disappointed. “And there are moments – it’s happened to me in many matches – when I’ve felt I’ve put on a show and perhaps I haven’t scored a goal, but I go to bed feeling very happy because I know that football isn’t just about the person who scores the goal. For Yamal, enjoyment comes from being involved in the game itself. “It’s the whole move from the moment the ball leaves the goalkeeper’s hands.” The Barcelona star expanded on that point by describing conversations with his mother after matches. “I get home, and maybe I’m annoyed, and my mum always asks me if I’m annoyed because I didn’t score a goal, and I tell her I’d never come home annoyed just because I didn’t score a goal – scoring a goal is just a statistic.  “I get annoyed if I don’t touch the ball, if I can’t enjoy myself; that’s what annoys me the most.” Yamal reveals the details behind his footballing instincts Lamine Yamal has also revealed his training methods. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) His comments were not limited to the Ballon d’Or, as Yamal also offered an insight into how he thinks during training, particularly when discussing movement with Barcelona teammates. “In training I always talk to Fermin, who’s a player who tends to run into space, or to Eric or Jules. He explained that those conversations are often about creating small advantages rather than complicated tactical ideas. “I tell them I prefer them to overlap inside, because if they overlap inside, they’ll either end up on their own or get cut out of the move and can no longer bother me – so they’re out of the picture.  “We try to discuss it. The simplest things in football are the ones that work best. Yamal’s final point captured the detail behind his attacking game: timing a movement at exactly the right moment. “If a player always runs into space and the defence stands still, there’s a split second when he’ll be left unmarked, and that split second is what you always have to practise. It’s a split second that you have to time very carefully,” he concluded.