Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has backed Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying the teenager has the quality to claim the award either this year or in the near future.

“I think Lamine Yamal can win the Ballon d’Or because he is Spanish and a great footballer,” de la Fuente said. “If it’s not this year, then it will be in the future; I don’t think it will take him too long.” He also praised Yamal’s excellent start to the new season.

Yamal is among the 30 nominees for the award, which will be presented in London on October 26. He enters the race after a major season with Barcelona and Spain, although the shortlist includes several strong alternatives, including defending winner Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Rodri.

The Ballon d’Or debate has been intensified by Spain’s World Cup triumph and Paris Saint-Germain’s second consecutive Champions League title. De la Fuente believes a Spanish player should win the award, while Luis Enrique has argued that PSG’s success should be reflected in the final vote.

José Mourinho has taken a different position, insisting that the prize should recognise the best individual player rather than automatically reward members of the Champions League or World Cup-winning teams. His comments were widely interpreted as support for Mbappé, who won the World Cup Golden Boot and continued his prolific scoring form for Real Madrid.

Yamal has rejected the idea of campaigning for the award. “I’m not going to beg for the Ballon d’Or,” he said, adding that he was proud of his season and understood that the final decision rested with the voters.

Bookmakers currently rank Yamal among the leading contenders, although the exact odds vary by market. His candidacy rests on a combination of club success, international influence and individual production, while the final result will depend on how voters weigh those achievements against the records and trophies of Mbappé, Kane, Dembélé, Messi and Rodri.