Lamine Yamal declines to campaign for the upcoming Ballon d'Or award

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal stated Tuesday he will not lobby for the Ballon d'Or trophy despite his successful year with club and country. The 19-year-old won both the World Cup with Spain and the La Liga title with Barcelona during the most recent season. Kylian Mbappe, who recently made his own case for the honor, joins Yamal as a top contender for the award ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London. While Yamal expressed pride in his performance, he noted that he is content to let others evaluate his candidacy. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised the player's current form as the team prepares to open its Champions League campaign against Feyenoord on Wednesday. Yamal also remains a finalist for the best young player award, an honor he has received for two consecutive years.

• 3:12 PMESPN Soccer — Barça star Yamal won't 'beg' to win Ballon d'Or
• 1:28 PMYahoo Sports — Barca star Yamal says will not beg for Ballon d'Or