Yamal's Uncle Says Kane Ballon d'Or Choice Wrong for Nephew

Lamine Yamal finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe at Monday's ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London. Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich and England, became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Yamal also took the Young Talent of the Year prize for a third straight year. He won La Liga with Barcelona earlier in 2026 and the World Cup with Spain over the summer. Ronaldo, the former Brazil striker, announced Kane's name on stage. Kane left his seat to collect the trophy while Yamal appeared upset in his seat.

Abdul Abdellaoui, Yamal's uncle, told El Larguero after the ceremony that his nephew should have won. 'Well, the truth is it's really sad, I feel really bad,' he said. Abdellaoui runs a restaurant in Mataro, a city in Catalonia, Spain.

Abdellaoui said viewers attend matches to watch Yamal. 'If you like football, you go to see Lamine, not Harry Kane,' he said. He called Kane a great goalscorer but said Yamal is the player who shines on the pitch.

Asked why Yamal did not win, Abdellaoui said age plays a part. 'Since Lamine is young, they always say he has time, he's 19, and that's why they're not giving him the award,' he said. He noted Yamal has won the World Cup, La Liga and the Super Cup.

The Ballon d'Or voting placed Mbappe of Real Madrid second. Rodri of Barcelona finished fourth, followed by Lionel Messi of Inter Miami. The next Ballon d'Or ceremony has not been scheduled.