- Spain coach Luis de la Fuente sent a message to Lamine Yamal after the Barcelona teenager finished third at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London
- Harry Kane claimed the award after reportedly scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances, becoming the first Englishman to win the prize in 25 years
- Yamal collected his third consecutive Kopa Trophy at the ceremony despite missing out on the main award for a second straight year
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has expressed full confidence that Lamine Yamal will go on to win the Ballon d'Or after the Barcelona teenager finished third in the 2026 edition of football's most prestigious individual award.
The ceremony took place in London, where Harry Kane of Bayern Munich claimed the top prize, with Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe coming in second.
Source: Getty Images
According to Yahoo Sports, Yamal had made the trip to the British capital with hopes of lifting the trophy but left without the main honour for the second year running.
De la Fuente's message to Yamal
Speaking after the ceremony, the Spain manager offered a straightforward vote of confidence in his young forward.
"Lamine Yamal will win many Ballon d'Ors. He just has to stay calm, he's a fantastic player," De la Fuente was quoted by Fabrizio Romano on X.
The remarks capture the mood around Yamal's career at this stage.
Despite the setback, those closest to the 19-year-old Barcelona star within the Spain set-up believe the winger's best years are still well ahead of him.
Yamal's influence at Barcelona has grown steadily, built on his dribbling ability, creativity and consistent threat in the final third.
Reports from Spain suggested Yamal had already sensed before the final announcement that Kane would take the prize.
He reportedly accepted the result gracefully and remains focused on winning the award in future editions.
Kane ends England's 25-year Ballon d'Or wait
Kane's victory marked a significant milestone for English football.
According to Sky Sports, the Bayern Munich striker became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen did so in 2001, ending a gap of 25 years.
His 2025-26 campaign was exceptional by any measure, with reports crediting him with 73 goals across 65 appearances for club and country.
Kane beat Mbappe and Yamal in the final voting, capping what has been one of the most productive individual seasons in recent memory for the England captain.
The win also meant Yamal narrowly missed out on what would have been another historic footnote: becoming the youngest player ever to claim the Ballon d'Or.
Why Yamal lost 2026 Ballon d'Or
Legit.ng previously reported about why Yamal missed out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia pointing to a split in Spain’s vote between the Barcelona forward and Rodri.
Yamal finished third behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé despite scoring 25 goals and providing 20 assists in a standout season.
Source: Legit.ng
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