Zlatan Ibrahimovic openly endorses Lamine Yamal as Ballon d’Or discussion heats up – “He is my guy”
· Yahoo Sports
With roughly a month remaining before the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony takes place in London, the debate over who will win the grand prize remains heated as ever.
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Barcelona have openly backed Lamine Yamal’s claim on the prize, even though Rodri is another contender for the award.
Other candidates include Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, who has left no stones unturned in promoting his bid, even adding that he would dedicate the trophy to Africa.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic namecalls Yamal
As the discussion heats up, Yamal has found endorsement from footballing legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, though not necessarily for the Ballon d’Or prize.
Featuring in an episode of the Netflix show ‘Cold as Balls’, Ibrahimovic was asked by the host Kevin Hart, as to who he supports among modern-day players.
The former Barcelona striker did not hesitate in naming Yamal, which quickly drew a large cheer among the crowd.
“If I have to choose. I would say Yamal. He is my guy today,” said Zlatan.
It must be noted that Zlatan’s endorsement is no way connected to the Ballon d’Or voting process, but it is a welcome show of support nonetheless, from one of the most recognisable faces in football.
No shortage of endorsements
Zlatan is the latest in a long list of footballing personalities, who have openly backed Yamal for the Ballon d’Or race.
The list includes Liverpool’s new signing Victor Munoz, who thinks Yamal has earned the merit to win the Ballon d’Or.
Barcelona bosses such as Joan Laporta and Rafa Yuste have also openly backed Yamal’s bid ahead of Rodri.
Even Atletico Madrid superstar and World Cup winner Alex Baena has endorsed Yamal for the Ballon d’Or, although the final result will depend on the voting conducted by respected football journalists worldwide.
Yamal, for his part, will look to focus on the task ahead and not get too carried away by all this talk. He has already had a brilliant start to the new season, racking up eight goals and six assists in just eight competitive matches.