Lamine Yamal explains why his stats don't worry him in the Ballon d'Or race

Some players talk about numbers, and some players talk about feel. Lamine Yamal clearly belongs to the second group. In the thick of the race for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, the Barcelona attacker made his case once again, but he did it in a curious way: by downplaying the goals and assists he himself has been racking up.

"I think the way I play is my strongest argument and what makes me different," he explained in an interview with the French newspaper L'Equipe. He didn't talk about statistics or personal records. He talked about style, about that way of taking on defenders that has made him special since his debut.

That said, when he ran through his credentials for the ceremony on October 26 in London, he didn't forget the team side of things either: "Fortunately, I've also been able to win a lot of titles with Barcelona and, most recently, I was able to win the most important title, the World Cup with my national team."

A wide open debate

Lamine himself admits this year's award is anything but a one-horse race. There's Messi, there's Rodri, there are several others fighting for the same trophy. And far from bothering him, the forward finds it almost fun.

It's good, and more fun, that there are more players in it, more debate, and that people can have different opinions. In the end, that job belongs to journalists. In the same way that my job is to play well on the field, for them it's a tough taskLamine Yamal

He was just as respectful when discussing his direct rivals: "We all have very solid arguments; we're all great players. It doesn't surprise me that they're in the conversation. Lionel Messi gets mentioned because he had a great World Cup, for example, and you have to respect every opinion. If someone says 'Messi deserves it' or 'Rodri deserves it,' that's completely respectable."

Still, he has a very clear idea of what really matters when it comes time to hand out the trophy: "It has nothing to do with how many goals you score or anything like that. I don't know, when I think about the Ballon d'Or, I think of Messi, of Ronaldinho, players like that, who are different, who make you smile when you watch them play."

Barcelona, on top and unstoppable

And while the individual debate stays open, the team keeps rolling: Barcelona sit clear at the top of LaLiga after winning all seven matchdays played so far. Lamine doesn't hide his enjoyment: "For me, we're a really fun team to watch. We play to attack, to keep possession, and to score goals. And I think it's pretty obvious that we're having a good time. We're a big family."

The player's own numbers match that good run: including the Champions League, he has piled up eight goals and six assists in the team's first eight matches of the season. Those figures, he says, are the result of a standard he sets for himself every year: "At the start of every season I always try to top myself. From the beginning I tell myself: 'If I made 200 dribbles this season, I'll make 300 next season, and if I scored 20 goals, I'll try to score 30.'"

And he doesn't stop there. Lamine admits his motivation keeps growing with each passing year: "It's clear that I get more motivated as each year goes by. I have a lot of things driving me. I want to win titles again. I want to win with Barcelona. And it's true that I started the season really well. I'm also trying to get closer to the box, run more, and keep developing as a footballer."