Yamal: Ballon d'Or should reward who truly amazes everyone, not just UCL winners or goal scorers

This Friday, Movistar+ released the full content of Yamal's appearance on the "Universo Valdano" podcast, in which Yamal discussed his views on the Ballon d'Or.

Tell me your thoughts on the Ballon d'Or.

"The criteria for judging the Ballon d'Or have changed. In the era of Messi and Ronaldo, everyone knew they were the two best players in the world, and the Ballon d'Or basically rotated between them."

"The problem now is that many people are using criteria that do not belong to the Ballon d'Or to judge it. For example, some people say that the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to a player just because their team won the Champions League."

"Winning the Champions League is an honor for a club, and that is a trophy for the best team. That is the reward the club should get. Whether that club has the best player in the world is another matter."

"In my opinion, the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to the best player in the world, nothing more. It's not for someone who scores 80 goals. If you score 80 goals, you should get the best scorer award of the season. These are two completely different things, but many people don't understand."

"What is the best player in the world? It's the one you, as a commentator, sincerely admire when watching a game. His performance is a class apart from everyone else. Only by returning to this core standard—selecting the player with the truly strongest ability, not the one with the most goals or trophies—can the Ballon d'Or regain its original prestige."

Your thoughts on modern football.

"In the era when I grew up watching football, we would watch a full 90-minute game without checking software for every player's goals and assists. At that time, people simply enjoyed football itself. Some attacking midfielders might not score 20 goals in a season, but they played beautifully."

"But this generation of viewers, while watching the game, also stares at data software, and immediately says, 'Yamal had two goals and two assists, an excellent performance in this game.' I have encountered this situation many times: I put on a wonderful performance on the field but didn't score a goal, yet I sleep very soundly at night."

"Because I understand that football is not just about scoring goals; it's about the entire offensive process from the goalkeeper's kick-off. Sometimes when I come home in a bad mood, my mother always asks me if I'm angry because I didn't score."

"But I never get upset because I couldn't score. Goals are just a statistic. What really frustrates me is when I can't touch the ball, when I can't enjoy the game. That's what makes me most angry."

Which tactical style do you prefer?

"During training, I always communicate with Fermín. He prefers to run into the space behind defenders; I also talk to Eric Garcia and Kounde. I tell them that I prefer my teammates to make inside runs."

"Once a teammate makes an inside run, they either get a direct open chance, or they draw away a defender, so the opponent can no longer mark me, and the defender is pulled out of position. We often communicate and refine this."

"The simplest routines in football are often the most effective. If players constantly attack open spaces and defenders stay put, there will always be that fleeting one-on-one opportunity. This moment needs to be repeatedly refined. The timing requires extreme precision."

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