Laporta plays the victim card as Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or campaign gathers pace

Joan Laporta has defended Lamine Yamal and his public push for the Ballon d’Or. The Barcelona president believes the winger deserves the award and says the criticism surrounding his campaign has been unfair. The timing is convenient. Only days ago, self-promotion from Kylian Mbappé was treated with considerable scepticism around Barcelona. Now the club is following the same route with its own candidate.

LAPORTA DEFENDS BARCELONA’S CHOICE

Laporta spoke after having dinner with Jorge Mendes, Deco and Alejandro Echevarría. He backed Lamine Yamal’s claim that he and Mbappé are the two best players in the world and that the Barcelona forward deserves to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

“He deserves it and I think it is normal for him to put himself among the favourites,” Laporta said. “He said it with his natural charm and it should be taken positively. Others do it too, and I did not see the same criticism when other players were running campaigns.”

The reference was to Mbappé, who had recently set out his own case during an interview with “France Football”.

Laporta also highlighted Lamine’s collective achievements, including the Spanish league title, the Spanish Super Cup and Spain’s World Cup triumph. Those are legitimate arguments. The contradiction lies elsewhere: Real Madrid’s support for Mbappé is labelled a campaign, while Barcelona’s operation is presented as a natural response to its player’s brilliance.

NO CAMPAIGN WAS NEEDED LAST WEEK

On 8 September, Lamine Yamal insisted that he did not need to campaign for the award and would not beg journalists for votes. Six days later, speaking to Movistar+, he said he and Mbappé were the world’s two best players but argued that he deserved the trophy because of what he had won.

There is nothing wrong with a footballer discussing his chances. Mbappé was equally entitled to mention his goals and individual achievements. Yet Barcelona initially used Lamine’s supposed refusal to campaign as a contrast with the Real Madrid forward.

That distinction has now disappeared. Barcelona is openly promoting its candidate while Laporta asks everyone to view the operation as spontaneous, charming and above criticism.

Apparently, campaigning only becomes distasteful when the wrong player does it.

MBAPPÉ PRESENTED A STRONG INDIVIDUAL CASE

Mbappé finished the previous season without a trophy for Real Madrid or France. Laporta understandably used that difference to support Lamine’s candidacy.

The French forward, however, had an exceptional individual campaign. He finished as the leading scorer in LaLiga, the Champions League and the World Cup. He also became the highest scorer in the history of the World Cup.

In his interview with “France Football”, Mbappé argued that no player had performed better across the season. Barcelona’s initial response was that Lamine did not require the same kind of self-promotion because his football spoke for him.

The club is now defending not only Lamine’s performances but also his right to promote himself publicly. Laporta wants the Barcelona player to receive precisely the understanding that was missing when Mbappé made his own case.

THE MESSAGE FROM BARCELONA IS CLEAR

Laporta is far from the only senior figure promoting Lamine. Deco told RAC1 that the youngster should win the Ballon d’Or and described the absence of Pedri and Raphinha from the shortlist as a “global scandal”. Eric García went even further by suggesting an all-Barcelona podium, despite Pedri and Raphinha not being among the 30 nominees.

Barcelona is entitled to back its own player. It should simply admit what it is doing. If Mbappé discussing his achievements was a campaign, then the statements from Lamine, Deco, Laporta and other figures around the club amount to one as well.

The only difference is the description. In Barcelona’s version, their campaign is natural and positive, while criticism of it is unfair. The Ballon d’Or rulebook remains remarkably flexible when the club needs another change of narrative.