• Spanish journalist José Félix Díaz ranked Kylian Mbappé above Lamine Yamal in his 2026 ballot
• Díaz questioned whether Yamal was more decisive than his teammates, suggesting Spain's World Cup win was built on collective strength
• The AS journalist pointed to Mbappé's Golden Boot campaign as central to his reasoning, despite Yamal's side lifting the World Cup trophy

José Félix Díaz has publicly explained his decision to rank Kylian Mbappé above Lamine Yamal in his 2026 Ballon d'Or ballot, offering a detailed defence of a choice likely to divide opinion in Spain.

The astute journalist serves as the sole Spanish representative among the 100-member voting panel for the prestigious award.

In Félix's assessment, Mbappé produced a higher and more consistent individual level across the entire 2025/26 season, placing the Frenchman ahead of his compatriot Yamal despite Spain winning the World Cup.

Why Díaz snubbed Lamine Yamal

The AS journalist raised a pointed question about whether Yamal's contributions truly separated him from the rest of his international teammates.

Rather than credit any single player, Díaz attributed Spain's tournament success to the depth and organisation of the squad as a whole.

"I don't think Lamine was more decisive than other Spanish players during the World Cup. I think Spain won thanks to its collective," Díaz said, as quoted by Actu Foot.

His argument centres on the distinction between team achievement and individual excellence — a debate that frequently shapes Ballon d'Or deliberations.

For Díaz, Spain's collective strength diluted Yamal's individual case rather than strengthening it.

Mbappé's World Cup campaign proves decisive

Central to Díaz's reasoning was Mbappé's Golden Boot-winning performance at the World Cup, during which the French forward guided his country to the semi-finals.

While France ultimately fell short of the final, Díaz viewed Mbappé's personal output as the stronger individual statement across the full season.

Notably, Díaz stopped short of dismissing Yamal's quality entirely. He acknowledged that the Barcelona winger would be his clear choice if the assessment were based on current form rather than the previous campaign.

"If you ask me who I'd give the Ballon d'Or to for this start of the season, I have no doubt: Lamine Yamal. But we're analysing the previous season and, for me, Mbappé was above Lamine," he said.

Yamal tipped to win 2027 Ballon d'Or

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that prediction platform Polymarket had tipped Lamine Yamal to win the 2027 Ballon d’Or, placing the Barcelona star at the top of its early projections.

The platform also correctly predicted Harry Kane’s 2026 triumph, adding interest to its latest forecast.