\n<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal<\/a> has made his pitch for the Ballon d\u2019Or as debate over the next winner intensifies during the international break. The 19-year-old lifted La Liga<\/a> and the Spanish Supercup with Barcelona<\/a>, then the World Cup with Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBoth because of how I play and who I am. Right now, in European football – because Messi will always be there and people will enjoy him – there are few players who play the way I play, who bring that kind of enjoyment, and I feel that. Neymar was my role model for that reason. The Ballon d\u2019Or is about that: being the best player, the one you enjoy watching the most, and being a step above the rest,\u201d he told TVE.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yamal\u2019s numbers back his case. He hit 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona last term, and has started this season with 14 direct goal contributions, eight goals and six assists, in just eight appearances across all competitions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf Mbappe and I didn\u2019t talk, people would wonder why we weren\u2019t. We\u2019re asked to be sincere, but when we are, we get criticized. I clearly said what I thought, and I don\u2019t regret doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The voting window closes on Monday, September 28, leaving one final showcase this Saturday evening, when Spain face England<\/a> in the Nations League at Wembley Stadium. Recent impressions on the biggest stages can weigh on voters, so a statement display in London could matter for those still undecided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n