Yamal Declines Ballon d'Or Campaign

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal stated Tuesday that he will not campaign for the Ballon d'Or, emphasizing his satisfaction with his club and country achievements. The 19-year-old winger, who recently won the World Cup with Spain and secured another La Liga title with Barcelona, expressed that he is content to let others decide his worthiness for the award. This comes as Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid has made his case for the trophy, citing his World Cup Golden Boot and all-time scoring record. Yamal, considered a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or and a favorite for the best young player award, stated, "I dont think I need to make a campaign for it, Im not thinking about what I deserve, everyone can think what they like." He added, "Im proud of everything Ive done this year with my club and with the national team. Weve become world champions, weve won the league again. I cant ask for anything more." Yamal acknowledged his "incredible level" but asserted, "its the medias job and I will not beg for anything." Despite a hamstring injury in April, Yamal has returned to top form, scoring braces in his last two La Liga matches against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia.