Lamine Yamal breaks silence after Ballon d’Or disappointment: ‘My time will come’

Lamine Yamal breaks silence after Ballon d’Or disappointment: ‘My time will come’ Lamine Yamal has addressed his third-place finish in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings , congratulating the winners while insisting that his focus remains on helping FC Barcelona return to winning trophies. The 19-year-old winger shared an optimistic message on Instagram less than 24 hours after Harry Kane claimed the prestigious individual award ahead of Kylian Mbappe and the Barcelona superstar. Lamine finishes third after mind-blowing season Lamine had hoped to become the world’s best player at just 19 after an outstanding campaign that included winning the World Cup with Spain and the La Liga title with Barcelona. However, Kane and Mbappe received more votes, leaving the young winger to settle for third place at the ceremony held at London’s Palladium. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @lamineyamal The Barcelona academy graduate did not make any public comments after the ceremony itself, where he also won his third consecutive Kopa Trophy. He has now broken his silence on social media, making it clear that missing out on the award has not shaken his belief in his own ability or the path he is following. Barcelona star congratulates the winners and sets his sights on trophies In an Instagram post featuring nine photographs, Lamine shared a message that combined confidence in his future with a reminder of his immediate priorities. “IT WILL COME, good things take time, I trust the path I’m building. Without a hurry, with excitement and with tranquility that someday my time will come,” Lamine wrote. “Congratulations to the winners, my focus is again on what’s important, to make FC Barcelona win again,” he added. Lamine finished third in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) His words suggest that, while the Ballon d’Or remains an ambition, the teenager is determined not to let individual recognition distract him from his responsibilities at club level. At 19, Lamine already has major honours with both Barcelona and Spain to his name. His third-place finish also meant that he became the first player to finish in the Ballon d’Or top 10 in three consecutive editions before turning 20 . Given his meteoric rise, the winger will continue to remain among the leading contenders for future editions, and there is no doubt that his time will eventually come.