Former USSR and Spartak Moscow player Alexander Bubnov has said Lamine Yamal should receive the Ballon d’Or at the upcoming ceremony in London, describing him as a “genius player” and adding: “Messi did not start like that.”
Yamal was part of the Spain team that won the recent 2026 World Cup, held in North America.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on 26 October. Last year’s award went to Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele.