The 2025/26 season was not enough for Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or, as he finished behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the final rankings.
However, the Barcelona star appears to have launched another assault on football’s most prestigious individual award, this time targeting the 2027 edition, as he is enjoying an outstanding season and has established himself as one of the most productive players in Europe.
The Spanish international has been particularly impressive when it comes to creating goalscoring opportunities and is currently the player with the most assists across Europe’s top five leagues and the Champions League.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Yamal leads the European assist charts with a total of 12 assists, eight in La Liga and four in the Champions League.
He is therefore ahead of Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane, who has registered 11 assists. Florian Thauvin, Nico Paz and Marco Grüll follow with eight assists each.
In the Champions League, however, one player has managed to record more assists than Yamal. That player is Nico Paz, who leads the competition with five assists.
Meanwhile, Yamal’s dominance in La Liga is even more impressive. With eight assists, he comfortably sits at the top of the standings, ahead of Espanyol’s Javier Hernandez with six and his Barcelona teammate Fermin Lopez with five.
What makes Yamal even more special is that, alongside creating chances, he is also a major threat in front of goal.
Across both competitions, La Liga and the Champions League, the 18-year-old has been directly involved in 25 of Barcelona’s goals this season, scoring 13 and providing 12 assists.
Alongside Raphinha, Yamal has been one of the key figures in Barcelona’s attacking department and one of the major reasons why the Catalan side are leading the league table.
These statistics show that the Spanish youngster is building another serious case for the Ballon d’Or, following his two previous attempts.
However, much will also depend on Barcelona’s success as a team, particularly in the Champions League. Winning Europe’s most prestigious club competition would significantly boost the chances of both Yamal and Raphinha of claiming the 2027 Ballon d’Or.
