Yamal: I have a good chance to win the Ballon d'Or, I don't need to campaign

At the Champions League pre-match press conference with Feyenoord, Yamal responded to controversial topics such as the Ballon d'Or and his poor expression after being substituted.

Do you feel the Champions League is the main goal this season?

Nothing motivates more than the Champions League, and it's the same for the whole team. It's the most special competition, and we all have our hearts set on it. Now we have Gordon, Rodri, Adeyemi, João (Cancelo), so this season is promising.

What does it mean to be captain?

It's an honor for me to be Barcelona captain at 19, and I'm very grateful. Even though I'm 19, being captain has made me more responsible. I'm very happy and I'll do my best for the team.

Do you think you deserve the Ballon d'Or?

That's not for me to say, it's up to you. We've had excellent results with the club and the national team, I think I have a good chance because I've had a great year, but let's wait and see.

Do you want to campaign for yourself?

I don't think I need to campaign for the Ballon d'Or. I'm proud of my performances for the club and the national team, and I won't beg for anything.

Everyone says that stars don't need to participate in pressing. What do you think? What does Flick expect from you?

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich all press as a team, and they both won championships. If you don't run, any opponent can beat you. If we want to win, we have to run, and if we don't run, we'll lose.

What challenges have you set for yourself?

Collectively, to win more titles; personally, to continue to grow and improve, I'm still very young.

How do you explain your displeasure when you were substituted?

Which game? ("The one against Elche.") It was too hot that day, and I was very tired. The only truth is that the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius that day.

Who is your role model when it comes to being captain? Why do you think your teammates chose you as captain?

I have many role models in the team: Raphinha, Pedri, and Eric Garcia. When I was a newcomer, they were especially good to me and are my role models for being captain.

Who do you have better chemistry with? Olmo or Fermin?

They are both excellent players. Fermin can create more space for me to sprint, and Olmo is better at ball control. Both on and off the field, I get along well with both of them, and I feel comfortable with them.

Do you have a premonition that this season will not be peaceful? Real Madrid has already started complaining about referees.

If they haven't won a title in two years, that's their problem. We are very satisfied with the referees. I don't know, I think they are quite satisfied.

How are you feeling now? Happy, or worried about something?

I'm very happy, I don't know why there's so much gossip. I'm only 19, I just won the World Cup, and I've had the best vacation of my life. I've never been happier in my life than I am now.

Dembele didn't include you in his top three Ballon d'Or candidates.

He's Kylian Mbappe's friend, isn't he? (laughs) I really don't care. It's normal. I have a good relationship with Dembele, he has to vote for someone else, it's normal. There's no need to point out to him how well I've performed this year.

Have you ever thought about being a substitute one day?

I'm not afraid of being a substitute, really. There are many well-prepared players in the team, so it's fine for me to be a substitute.

Do you think you're still growing taller?

I'm still young and growing, but not as much as Cubarsi or Bernal.

What improvements do you hope to make personally and technically in the coming years?

It's simple. There are many players better than me in the team. All I want is to play, win, and then go home and be with my family, they keep me grounded.

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