Lamine Yamal. Photo: Getty Images.
Barcelona have reached 26 goals across their opening six matches, with Lamine Yamal pushing his own 2026 Ballon d’Or case on the back of another brace.
The Catalans are averaging more than four goals per game during that run. Yamal has supplied seven goals and two assists across his past four appearances, directly contributing to nine goals in that stretch.
Those figures have arrived alongside a public declaration from the teenager, who placed himself and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé at the front of the individual award race.
“Kylian Mbappé and I, we are the two best in the world… but I think I am the one who deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” Yamal said in an interview with Movistar.
His subsequent production has given it more substance, with Yamal scoring in four straight matches and recording three braces during that sequence.
"Mbappé y yo somos los dos mejores del mundo, pero creo que este año el Balón de Oro me lo merecería yo".
‼️ 𝑳𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒀𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒍, en exclusiva en #UniversoValdano.#LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/YJmUZBVLaU
— Movistar Plus Deportes (@MPlusDeportes) September 13, 2026
He scored twice against Levante and repeated that return against Rayo Vallecano. Another brace followed against Valencia, while his performance against Feyenoord produced one goal and two assists.
Nine direct goal contributions in four games is a blistering return. Yamal did the damage himself in the three domestic fixtures, then tore Feyenoord apart as both scorer and creator.
Barcelona’s 4-2 victory over Levante formed part of the run, but the team’s overall tally extends beyond Yamal’s individual numbers. Their six-game total shows how consistently the attack has converted its opportunities across the opening weeks.
The latest victory again spread the contributions through the side. Yamal scored twice, Raphinha supplied two assists, Xavi Espart registered his first professional goal and Karim Adeyemi continued his own scoring run as Barcelona moved to 26 goals for the campaign.
Raphinha’s creativity and Adeyemi’s scoring give opponents more than one threat to contain, easing the burden on Yamal.
Yamal’s nine direct goal contributions underline his influence on the run, but Barcelona’s scoring has not depended on him alone. Raphinha, Xavi Espart and Adeyemi were all decisive contributors in the latest win.
The Ballon d’Or will not be won on a four-game hot streak, even one as spectacular as this. Its August-to-July voting period takes in the whole club season and the World Cup, with individual brilliance the first consideration and team success next.
🚨🌕 Lamine Yamal: “Kylian Mbappé and I, we are the two BEST in the world…
…but I think I AM the one who deserves to win the Ballon d’Or”, told Movistar. 🔥☝🏽 pic.twitter.com/ymjg1k8lIH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 13, 2026
Yamal has both. He drove Barcelona to another La Liga title and lifted the World Cup with Spain, bringing creativity and invention to go with his goals. This latest surge is not the foundation of his claim; it is a thumping reminder of why he is in the race.
Mbappé has taken a different route. His 25 La Liga goals and 15 in the Champions League made him the outstanding scorer in both competitions, before he became the World Cup’s all-time leading marksman as France reached the semi-finals.
And this cannot be presented as a private duel. Harry Kane scored 61 times in 51 games for Bayern Munich and 73 for club and country across the award period. He won the European Golden Shoe, collected three trophies with Bayern and helped England finish third at the World Cup.
That is the field Yamal is trying to beat: Mbappé piling up goals on the biggest stages and Kane producing one of the great scoring seasons. Yamal’s answer is broader – goals, creation and the two trophies that mattered most. Barcelona’s flying start has made that answer harder to ignore.