‘I will not beg’: Lamine Yamal takes stand on Ballon d'Or race amid Mbappe, Dembele claims

Teen sensation and World Cup winner with Spain, Lamine Yamal, said he will not beg for the coveted Ballon d’Or after winning two crucial titles this year. After leading La Liga giants Barcelona to a league title and helping Spain clinch their second World Cup in North America in July this year, Yamal remains among the top candidates to win the highest individual prize in football.

On Monday, Kylian Mbappe pressed his case to win his first Ballon d’Or trophy, highlighting his World Cup Golden Boot win, which also saw him become the competition's all-time top goalscorer. Although Yamal, 19, thinks the same about his performance, he is happy to leave the decision to those who vote.

Meanwhile, he, Mbappe, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are the front-runners to win the award at the ceremony in London on October 26.

"I don't think I need to (make a campaign for it), I'm not thinking about what I deserve; everyone can think what they like," Yamal told reporters. "I'm proud of everything I've done this year with my club and with the national team. We've become world champions; we've won the league again. I can't ask for anything more.

"I think... I've shown an incredible level; it's (the media's) job, and I will not beg for anything."

Even last year, the then-18-year-old Yamal finished second behind PSG star Dembele in Ballon d'Or voting. Meanwhile, France forward Dembele recently told France Football that Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappe would be in his top three to win the award.

"He's a friend of Kylian, right?" joked Yamal of the French winger, formerly of Barcelona. "The truth is, I don't care; I'm very happy with the year I had. When I played against both of them together, I must have annoyed them."

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At this year’s World Cup, Yamal’s Spain denied France a place in the final, with Mbappe and Dembele leading the frontline, by beating them 2-0 in the semis.

Yamal suffered a hamstring injury in April and has only just returned to his best level. The winger appeared unhappy at the start of the season but seemed far more cheerful as he netted two goals against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in his last two outings.

"In the end, I'm 19, coming off winning a World Cup, having had the best holidays of my life," said Yamal. "I've never been happier at any point in my life than I am now."

(With inputs from AFP)