Lamine Yamal has given a positive outlook on his future despite suffering the pain of missing out on the men’s 2026 Ballon d’Or award.
“Good things take time,” said the young lad, who added that “one day my time will come”. Yamal, who plays for Barcelona and Spain, was third behind winner Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in second.
Yamal had spoken of his chances prior to the award, saying he felt he would be a “deserving” winner based on his performances for Barcelona and Spain.
And although he didn’t win the top prize in London, the 19-year-old thinks the future is bright.”It will come, good things take time, I trust in the path I’m building,” Yamal wrote on social media.
“No rush, just excitement and the calm assurance that one day my time will come.
“Congratulations to the winners. My focus is back on what matters most: making FC Barcelona win again,” quoted by TNT Sports.
Last season Yamal won the La Liga with Barca, scoring 25 goals and notching 20 assists in 57 appearances. He also the World Cup with Spain. However, his underwhelming World Cup campaign saw him score a goal and registered no assist.
At the Ballon d’Or ceremony, he picked up the Kopa Trophy for the best young player for the third year in a row.
“Lamine Yamal is going to win many Ballon d’Or awards, many individual trophies, but more importantly, he is going to win many more team trophies. I know he values that more.Luis de la Fuente, who won the Men’s coach of the year award for Spain, said he expects Yamal to pick up a lot of personal accolades in the future.
“He needs to be calm because we know who he is, what he represents. We know the potential he has, the great footballer he is and the great person he is.”
