OMM Newsroom
France Football editor-in-chief and Ballon d’Or director Vincent Garcia has suggested a possible reason why Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal did not win the award: his club and national team-mate Rodri may have drawn some votes away from him.
Garcia said votes for players from Spain’s World Cup-winning national team were split between Rodri and Yamal. He said Spain’s performance as a unified team at the 2026 World Cup made it difficult to choose one individual achievement over another.
“I think Rodri took some of the votes that could have gone to Lamine. The votes for Spanish players were somewhat divided. Members of the jury found it difficult to choose in favour of one of the Spanish players,” Garcia told Sport.es.
Garcia noted that although Yamal was a world champion, he scored just one goal at the tournament and began the competition with an injury. He said he had voted for a player who did not win the award but whom he considered deserving, adding that his choice would be announced on Saturday.
Garcia called Harry Kane a prolific goalscorer and said jurors may have considered him the nominee with the best qualities. Kane won the Ballon d’Or, while Kylian Mbappe finished second. Yamal placed third and Rodri fourth.
