Lamine Yamal's uncle has publicly criticised the decision to award Harry Kane the Ballon d'Or ahead of the Barcelona winger. He controversially claimed that true football fans pay money specifically to watch his nephew play, rather than the Bayern Munich and England striker.
Kane claims the ultimate individual prize
Kane made history on Monday evening at the Palladium Theatre in London. The Bayern striker became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen claimed the honour in 2001. The prestigious award was kept a closely guarded secret until Brazil legend Ronaldo revealed Kane as the winner.
Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished in second place. Barcelona winger Yamal completed the podium in third. The 19-year-old was visibly upset when Kane collected the trophy, although the Spanish international did secure the Young Talent of the Year award for a third consecutive year.
Yamal's uncle issues brutal Kane verdict
The final voting results did not sit well with Yamal's family. Speaking to El Larguero, his uncle, Abdul Abdellaoui, expressed his deep frustration over the perceived snub. Abdellaoui insisted that the Barcelona star was robbed of his first Ballon d'Or.
"My nephew was amazing, he was the best player in the world, everyone knows it," Abdul stated. "If you like football, you go to see Lamine, not Harry Kane. Harry Kane is a great goalscorer but Lamine is the best player who shines on the pitch."
Age played a major voting factor
Yamal enjoyed a phenomenal year for both club and country. He helped Barcelona secure the Liga title before playing a starring role in Spain's World Cup triumph over the summer. Despite these major trophies, Abdul believes his nephew was overlooked entirely due to his youth. He feels voters opted to reward the veteran England captain instead.
"Since Lamine is young, they always say he has time, he's 19, and that's why they're not giving him the award," Abdul explained. "Harry, with only three days of football left, they're saying, 'come on, we'll give him the award'. He [Yamal] has won the World Cup, La Liga, the Super Cup, he plays really well."
Looking ahead to future Ballon d'Or glory
While the immediate aftermath has been bitterly disappointing for Yamal, his trajectory remains frighteningly steep. He is widely expected to claim the top prize at some point during his promising career.
The Barca academy graduate will now channel his frustration back into his club football. The sadness of missing out to Kane is expected to be short-lived as he focuses on adding more silverware to his collection.