Former France defender, Bixente Lizarazu, has named the player to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
Lizarazu picked Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of other contenders like Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
He described the Spanish international as a phenomenal footballer who has raised the level of his game.
The winner of this year's Ballon d'Or will be announced before the end of this month.
"I am going to try to stick to my criteria. For me, it's no contest anymore—it's Lamine Yamal," Lizarazu said, as per Actu Foot via Téléfoot.
"What he does on the pitch these days, on top of that, he has even raised his level. It is true that his World Cup wasn't incredible, but he is still a World Cup champion, he won the Spanish league, and he is a phenomenal player."
Ballon d'Or 2026: He's phenomenal - Ex-France defender, Lizarazu names player to win award