Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal believes his age could count against him in the race to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
The 19-year-old has established himself as one of the leading candidates for football's most prestigious individual award after another impressive year for club and country.
However, Yamal is concerned voters may assume he will have plenty of future opportunities to claim the prize because of his age, rather than recognising his achievements now.
“I think, being totally honest, there is one thing that people - I don't know if they are going to change - but I think people think that, as Lamine is 19 years old and Lamine is very good, he is going to win at some point,” he told Guardian Sport.
Yamal suggested that voters may believe he will remain in contention for many years and can therefore afford to wait before giving him the award.
“So, let's say Mbappe, Fabian, Rodri, Kvaratskhelia, Messi, Kane... They think that I will always be there and that I will win eventually,” he said.
He added that Kylian Mbappe had faced a similar situation early in his career, when people expected him to win the Ballon d'Or eventually.
“For example, Mbappe, the same thing happened to him when he was young. They told him that at some point he would win and, in the end, until now, he doesn't have any.”