- Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has declared that his World Cup victory with Spain and La Liga title should give him the edge over Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
- Despite failing to win any team trophies last season, Mbappe recently claimed that no individual player performed better than him after he finished as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League, and the World Cup.
- Yamal highlighted in an interview with Movistar that both he and Mbappe are currently the top two footballers in the world, with the Spanish winger seeking his first Ballon d'Or after finishing as runner-up to Ousmane Dembele last year.
- England captain Harry Kane is considered by many as the favourite for the award following a remarkable 73-goal season that saw him win the Bundesliga and German Cup with Bayern Munich.
- The 30-player shortlist for the prestigious individual honour features Yamal, Mbappe, Kane and Ousmane Dembele, with the official ceremony set to take place in London on 26 October.
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