Lamine Yamal's uncle slams Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win

The uncle of Barcelona and Spain football prodigy Lamine Yamal believed Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane did not deserve to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or over his nephew.

Kane won the Ballon d'Or in London on Oct. 26, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe in second place and Yamal in third.

The 19-year-old Barcelona star secured the Kopa Trophy for young player of the year for a third consecutive time.

Abdul, Yamal's uncle, did not hide his disappointment regarding the final voting results. Speaking to Spanish radio program "El Larguero" on Cadena SER, he argued that his nephew is the best player in the world.

"Well, the truth is it's really sad, I feel really bad," Abdul said. "My nephew was amazing, he was the best player in the world, everyone knows it. If you like football, you go to see Lamine, not Harry Kane."

Abdul acknowledged that Kane is an excellent goalscorer but insisted that Yamal is the one who truly lights up the pitch. He also dismissed the popular argument that the Barcelona forward is still young and will have plenty of chances to win the award in the future.

"Since Lamine is young, they always say he has time, he's 19, and that's why they're not giving him the award. Harry, with only three days of football left, they're saying, 'come on, we'll give him the award," he said.

He emphasized that Yamal delivered an extraordinary season, winning the World Cup, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup. Abdul pointed out that his nephew scored special goals while constantly contributing through key passes and assists, confidently predicting that Yamal will eventually win five Ballon d'Or.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti was also not happy with Kane's victory. He argued that Yamal and Mbappé deserve the honor more. Guti also questioned the coincidence that the 70th-anniversary awards ceremony took place in London and the winner is also from London.

Speaking to AS, Guti claimed Kane's facial expression when his name was announced is evidence that the Bayern striker did not even expect to win.

"You can't have that look on your face when you win the Ballon d'Or if you believe you deserve it," he said.

Former French international Samir Nasri also expressed his disagreement with the result. While acknowledging that Kane's goal-scoring statistics set him apart, Nasri argued that the English striker has never played a decisive role in the victories of his team and has never been the deciding factor in crucial matches.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta chose to show support for Yamal and respect for the voting results, stating that the club is immensely proud of their star player and will encourage him to keep up his current form.

Kane secured the prestigious individual honor following an outstanding season with Bayern Munich. The English forward netted 36 goals in the Bundesliga to earn the European Golden Boot, and tallied 73 goals in 65 appearances across all competitions for both club and country. He won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal with Bayern, and helped England finish third at the 2026 World Cup.

This victory makes Kane the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.