Liverpool and Spain forward Victor Munoz has made his selection for the Ballon d'Or, the much-coveted individual prize that will be handed out later this calendar year
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool forward Victor Munoz has backed the Barcelona superstar — and his Spanish national teammate — Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe.
Yamal and the Real Madrid talisman are among the candidates to take home the individual prize. Harry Kane, of England and Bayern Munich, is another, with no clear frontrunner at this stage.
"I would give it to Lamine," Munoz told AS. "He is my teammate in the national team and I think he has made merits to conquer it. Any player who wins it will be because he deserves it, but my choice would be Lamine."
This weekend, Munoz, who has made a good start to life at Liverpool, could get another chance to impress, this time against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
He has already begun to make an impression under Andoni Iraola — another Spanish link with Liverpool at the moment — and scored a good goal against Nottingham Forest to get off the mark with his new side.
Munoz also won a penalty against another team that was interested in signing him this summer in Newcastle on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Victor Munoz and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on September 17, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz battles Victor Munoz for the ball in the Liverpool training session at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
While he was signed from Osasuna, Munoz played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid earlier in his career. That gives him the unique perspective of having trained with both of the La Liga giants' academies.
"At Barca I was very small, but they allowed me to learn the associative work and incorporate into my game the methodology and their own DNA that they try to instill there in all the youth players," Munoz added.
"In Madrid, it is another type of game, more direct and that was very good for me for my qualities. I’m grateful to have been in both."
Iraola was a key driving factor behind the signing of Munoz this summer for a fee of around $47 million (£35 million).
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"With Victor, I think we signed him in a moment where he’s very hungry, he’s ambitious, but he’s still humble and knows that he has to come very ready," Iraola said when Munoz arrived.
"I think he’s someone with some versatility — can play right, can play left, he has the work-rate also for all that we will require. I'm looking forward to having him here."
Liverpool.com says: Munoz looks ideal for the kind of game that Iraola wants to play. As for his Ballon d'Or shout, it is in some ways a biased suggestion, but there are no stand-out candidates. Yamal didn't have the best World Cup, but his talent is clear.