Lamine Yamal talks Raphinha, Messi, new signings, Champions League, World Cup, Ballon d’Or: ‘I play to make history’

Lamine Yamal talks Raphinha, Messi, new signings, Champions League, World Cup, Ballon d’Or: ‘I play to make history’ Lamine Yamal is once again at the centre of the Ballon d’Or debate, having finished second in the last edition at the age of 18. The Barcelona star, a world champion with Spain and a three-time league winner, sat down with L’Equipe (h/t SPORT ) to discuss his candidacy for the award, his evolution, the dressing room and Barcelona’s recent Champions League exits, among other things. On the Ballon d’Or Lamine reflected on last year’s ceremony, when he arrived with a genuine chance of winning before Ousmane Dembele took the prize. “There aren’t many 18-year-olds who go to a Ballon d’Or ceremony thinking they have options to win,” he said. Rather than viewing Dembele’s victory as a frustration, Lamine saw the positives. “I see it as an achievement. I finished second at 18 years.” The Barcelona man also offered his own interpretation of what the award should represent. “It’s the prize for the best player of the year, the different player, the one who’s glad to see play, the one who has that magic, who makes you smile, who makes you want to watch a game just for him, ” he said. Yamal is a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) On his arguments to win this year, Lamine pointed to his trophies but placed his style above all. “I think my way of playing is my strongest argument and what makes me different. It is very important, in addition to being a good player, to make your team win. “The advantage I have is that I have been able to win the World Cup this year and, obviously, that gives me a plus ,” he added. He was, however, respectful of his rivals, name-checking several contenders. “If a person says ‘Messi deserves it’ or ‘Rodri deserves it,’ it is totally respectable,” he said. Barcelona, for their part, have firmly backed Yamal’s bid for the Ballon d’Or ahead of teammate Rodri. Yamal on his mentality, ambition and legacy Yamal also went on to talk about how he handles pressure and deals with competitions. He explained that he almost never approaches a situation believing he cannot win, using a striking example. If he had to race Michael Phelps in the pool, he would still back himself to win, even knowing it was practically impossible. That same logic applies to the Ballon d’Or. “If I don’t win the Ballon d’Or, the next year I have to win it. And if I win it, I want to win five more,” he said. “Later on, when I’m sitting at home with my kids, I want to say, ‘Now it’s your turn, I’ve done a lot. Win, win, win, always. And if I don’t win, I’ll see you the next year ,” he added. Lamine’s targets stretch far beyond individual honours, with the youngster already dreaming of a place in football history. “I play to make history, so that 30 years from now the young people will say, ‘He was really good too,'” he said. “I don’t want to compare myself to anyone. I want to be Lamine Yamal, I want you to remember me as Lamine Yamal and I hope to be among the greats ,” he added. Having already won three leagues, his appetite still remains high. “I think you can never stop, you can always win over and over again,” he added. Yamal isn’t bothered by the noise anymore. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Yamal on his origins Despite his towering ambition, Lamine insisted he leads a grounded, normal life away from football. “I’m a 19-year-old who trains, then comes home to be with his family, his girlfriend, and who tries to lead a normal life,” he explained. He also addressed the constant controversies and rumours that have followed him. “When I was younger, I didn’t understand. I said, ‘But if I haven’t done that, why do they say that?’ And I realised that, in the end, what sells about me, when I don’t do anything, is inventing things so they can talk about them,” he added. “So now I take it like this: ‘Well, I didn’t know I’d done that, but it’s okay.’ I always try to keep my mother calm, to know that I haven’t, that it’s false. And if it’s true, it doesn’t bother me.” He stressed the importance of blocking out the noise. “The important thing is to be able to isolate yourself. It’s very important, both when you play bad and when rumours come out,” he said. On the criticism of his outspoken nature, Lamine was unapologetic. “It’s not so much arrogance as saying what I think, always, and saying it naturally. More in football. I’m still a kid, you know?” Yamal on learning and physical evolution Lamine believes experience has been his biggest area of growth in recent seasons. “I think you learn more from defeats than from victories,” he said, noting that winning a Euro so young can create the illusion that football is simple, before the Champions League and defeats reveal the difficulty of competing at the top. A bout of pubalgia also changed his outlook on his body. “I used to think, ‘I’m a kid, nothing can happen to me, I can’t get injured, I’m like a piece of plastic,'” he laughed. The World Cup and a selfless role Lamine dedicated much of the interview to Spain’s World Cup triumph, during which he embraced a different role to the one he plays at Barcelona. “My goal on the pitch is always to win. And I saw that, to win, I had to change my role,” he explained. Luis de la Fuente’s instruction was simple: “Play for the team to win.” The final against Argentina holds a special place in his memories. “It was one of the most special days of my life. I can’t go home having lost this final,” he added. On Barcelona and the new signings Yamal has built a solid partnership with Raphinha. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) Lamine was full of praise for the current Barcelona squad, highlighting the strong bond within the dressing room. “We are lucky that many of us have left the quarry, we have lived together, we have learned the same football, ” he said, before including the senior players in that dynamic. “Even with the most ‘elder’, like Rapha, we are like brothers.” He was equally impressed by how quickly the club’s new arrivals have settled. “They are on the same level and, above all, they have adapted very well. We’re getting along like we’ve been together for four years,” Lamine said. “With (Joao) Cancelo, Gabriel, Adeyemi, Gordon, Rodri, everyone. We got along very well and there is a very good atmosphere.” He did, however, acknowledge the team must improve defensively. “We’re a young team that can still progress,” he said. Individual goals and the Champions League On a personal level, Lamine wants to increase his presence in the box and boost his goal output this season. “If last season I did 200 dribbles, this season I will try to do 300. If I scored 20 goals, I will try to score 30,” he said. He also reflected on Barcelona’s recent Champions League exits, using the 2025 semi-final against Inter Milan to illustrate the team’s shortcomings. “We’re a young team, there are decisions that are made in a second and, when you’re 20 or when you’re 30, you don’t make them the same way,” he said. The success of Dembele’s PSG has only added to his motivation. “Now it is up to us to lift this trophy, ” Lamine declared, before setting the collective goal. “We all want to be in Madrid to play the Champions League final.”