Lamine Yamal's uncle, Abdul Abdellaoui, has criticised Harry Kane's 2026 Ballon d'Or win, saying the England captain received the award with "only three days of football left".
Uncle's Reaction to the Vote
The tight vote ended in Kane's favour, beating Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Yamal, who finished second and third, respectively. Fans analysed Yamal's reaction during the announcement, suggesting he was hiding his disappointment.
In an interview with Spanish radio show El Larguero, Abdellaoui said: "Well, the truth is it's really sad, I feel really bad. My nephew was amazing, he was the best player in the world, everyone knows it. If you like football, you go to see Lamine, not Harry Kane. Harry Kane is a great goalscorer but Lamine is the best player who shines on the pitch and if he's unlucky, there's next year."
Criticism of the Award Decision
Abdellaoui implied Kane had been handed the trophy out of pity that his career will end soon. He continued: "Since Lamine is young, they always say he has time, he's 19, and that's why they're not giving him the award. Harry, with only three days of football left, they're saying, 'come on, we'll give him the award'. He's won the World Cup, La Liga, the Super Cup, he plays really well, he's had an incredible season, he scores goals that nobody else can. Passes, assists, whatever you want. Lamine will win more than one, but the sadness will pass in three days. In a few days he will be fine."
Kane's Record-Breaking Season
Kane was nominated seven times for the award prior to his maiden win, with a previous highest finish of 10th. The 33-year-old scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last term, the highest single-season tally since Lionel Messi scored 69 times for Argentina and Barcelona during the 2012/13 season.
Messi did not win the Ballon d'Or that season, but had received the prize the campaign prior after notching 81 goals in 69 matches. Yamal has already been ranked in the top 10 for the Ballon d'Or on three occasions, finishing second last year to Ousmane Dembele.
