Lamine Yamal stole the spotlight at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, but his speech carried a twist that sparked debate among the football fraternity. After winning his third straight Kopa Trophy in London, the youngster turned the attention to teammate Pau Cubarsí, who finished second in the voting. With Yamal missing out on the bigger Ballon d’Or prize, his comments raised questions about whether the award was enough to make up for the disappointment.

Cubarsí was a Kopa Trophy nominee but lost to his Barcelona teammate although Yamal made his thoughts clear during his acceptance speech.

“I would have liked to see my teammate [Pau] Cubarsi here because I think this prize should have been for him. He has been playing at an excellent level for some time. This is my third year up here for this prize. I would like to thank my club and my national team,” Yamal said, reported by The Sporting News. 

“Speaking about this one specifically, this one should have been for Cubarsí,” Yamal answered when Thierry Henry jokingly asked, “Is this the award you wanted tonight?”.

Cubarsí wasn’t on the podium to receive the award, which made Yamal’s comments even more significant. Both players came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy. The Spanish defender made 31 appearances for the club across the 2025–26 La Liga season, playing 2,708 minutes and scoring one goal. That’s despite being only 19, showing how important he was to the Catalan giants.

That trend continued with the Spanish national team, where Cubarsí played a key role as La Furia Roja reached their second final. Meanwhile, his fellow La Masia graduate, Yamal has turned into one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world. The teenager’s comments, though, echo those made at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony. 

That year, after winning the best player of the year award, former Manchester City star Rodri praised his teammates and the other contenders alongside him.

“I want to mention my teammates with whom I won the Euro title with, especially Dani Carvajal who suffered the same injury that I suffered. Lamine Yamal, I know you will win this award soon. This is a victory for Spanish football and many of my friends have written to me to say, football has won today,” Rodri said, reported by Sport Bible. 

Like Yamal, Rodri used his moment of personal success to recognise another player’s efforts.

Why did Lamine Yamal win his third straight Kopa Trophy over Cubarsi?

Lamine Yamal’s support for Pau Cubarsí takes nothing away from his own performances. His numbers showed why he deserved to remain among the top candidates for the award. Yamal scored 24 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions during the 2025-26 season. 

The teenager also recorded 18 assists during those appearances, contributing to a total of 42 goals across all competitions. These numbers show that he offered much more than dribbling and individual skills.

All of this played an integral role as Barcelona won the La Liga title for a second season in a row. They finished the season with 94 points, and Yamal was also named Player of the Season. This award strengthened his case for the Kopa Trophy. It showed that he performed well throughout the season and played a major role in Barcelona’s success.

However, his performance in the 2026 World Cup was also integral to Spain winning their second-ever Jules Rimet trophy. The teenager entered the tournament injured, playing limited minutes at first and still put on an incredible show. His 19 minutes off the bench against a defensively impregnable Cape Verde side were Spain’s best moments despite the 0-0 draw.

The 19-year-old then started the next game and turned in another swashbuckling performance to help Spain take a 3-0 lead inside 45 minutes against Saudi Arabia. From there, both Lamine Yamal and Spain didn’t look back, with Cubarsi playing more than his part. Fans have even argued that the center-back’s performances were the main reason why Spain won, with him often playing quarter-back for La Furia Roja.

That’s why Cubarsi won the FIFA Young Player Award at the tournament, highlighting how important he was to Spain’s campaign. His performances also earned him a place among the top players in the main Ballon d’Or rankings. 

Yamal’s third straight Kopa Trophy confirmed his position as one of football’s best young players. However, his speech made the moment even more memorable. While celebrating his own historic win, he openly said that Cubarsí deserved the award instead.

His words showed that Yamal wanted his teammate’s efforts to receive the same recognition as his own.