Rabat — FC Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has acknowledged the growing presence of African players in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
The 19-year-old pointed to the significance that their recognition carries for players from the continent.
Speaking to Egyptian sports channel OnSport, Yamal said he hopes to see more African players among the nominees and on the Ballon d’Or podium in the years to come.
“As players who come from African countries, we feel proud when we see African players on the podium or among the nominees. I hope there will be more and more players, but I think it has more to do with what a player does on the pitch, rather than their nationality,” Yamal said.
The teenager, who has Moroccan and Equatoguinean heritage, has emerged as one of the leading young figures in world football and is among the nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
This comes amid growing recognition of African talent at the highest level of the game, with players from the continent and the African diaspora increasingly featuring in major European competitions and individual awards.
Yamal also expressed confidence in the ability of African national teams to make greater progress at the World Cup.
“Believe that, with time, African national teams will achieve better results at the World Cup,” Yamal said.
African teams have made several deep runs at the tournament, most notably Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinals, the first time an African nation reached the final four.
Yamal’s remarks therefore touch on both sides of Africa’s growing presence in football: the increasing recognition of its players at the individual level and the ambition of its national teams to challenge deeper into major international tournaments.
