- Brazilian star Neymar publicly endorsed Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal for the 2026 Ballon d'Or through a bold Instagram post
- Neymar drew a striking comparison between Yamal's current form and his own peak season at PSG to make his case
- The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony is set for October 26 in London, with Yamal facing stiff competition from Kane and Mbappé
Neymar has thrown his weight behind 19-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, publicly declaring the Spanish winger the best player on the planet.
Source: Getty Images
The Brazilian legend, who starred for both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during his illustrious club career, made his views known through an Instagram post in which he tagged Yamal directly.
Who does Neymar back to win the Ballon d'Or?
The caption was simple but emphatic:
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"The best in the world."
What made the post particularly striking was its context. Neymar shared a statistical breakdown from Sofascore placing Yamal's current numbers alongside his own best season at PSG in 2017/18, one of the most prolific periods of his career in Paris.
Yamal's figures for the ongoing campaign are hard to ignore. The teenager has contributed eight goals and nine assists across just 10 matches for Barcelona, a return that has left analysts and fans talking in equal measure.
By drawing the parallel himself, Neymar essentially handed Yamal a seal of approval from a player who once held that same elite status in Europe.
The endorsement arrives at a crucial point in the Ballon d'Or conversation, with several world-class forwards making compelling cases of their own.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane has been in devastating form, having reportedly scored 61 goals in 51 matches during last season alone.
That kind of consistency is difficult for any award panel to overlook. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé remains a constant presence in discussions about the finest players of the current era, with Real Madrid providing him the platform to continue building his legacy.
With those names in the mix, Yamal's path to the trophy is far from straightforward, regardless of how glowing the endorsements are.
See the post below:
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
The 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or will be held on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium.
The ceremony will see the award's organisers crown a successor to reigning men's winner Ousmane Dembélé.
For Yamal, lifting the trophy in London would mark yet another extraordinary chapter in a career that has already outpaced most expectations.
Still only 19, he has established himself as one of the most closely watched footballers in the world, and now he has the backing of one of the sport's all-time greats to go with his numbers.
Why was Lamine Yamal's Spain fined?
In other news, FIFA upheld sanctions against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over discriminatory chants by fans during a friendly match against Egypt in March 2026.
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the incident, describing the behaviour as disrespectful and unacceptable.
The RFEF has rejected the decision and plans to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Source: TUKO.co.ke