In an interview with ‘L’Equipe’, Lamine Yamal shared his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or and outlined his unrelenting ambition.
With the race for the Ballon d’Or gathering momentum, Lamine Yamal sat down with the French publication to assess the contenders for the coveted award. “They are all immense players. It doesn’t surprise me to see them in the conversation; they all have strong claims. Messi has his World Cup, while others have different arguments. If someone believes Messi deserves it or Rodri deserves it, that is entirely respectable,” he explained.
“Everyone has to aim as high as possible. If I were a waiter, I would want to own the restaurant. I play to make history, so that in 30 years people say: ‘He was brilliant’. But it isn’t an obsession; I never think ‘I want to be better than Pele or Messi’. I want to be Lamine Yamal, and be remembered as Lamine Yamal,” he added.
Reflecting an unyielding winning mentality, he continued: “We can always better ourselves. I have won three league titles, and in my mind, I want seven or eight at least. I have not won a Champions League yet, and I want to do that. If I win one, knowing PSG won two in a row, I will want three. If I do not win the Ballon d’Or, I will want to win it next time. If I win it, I want to win five more. I believe you can never stop.”
“Further down the line, when I am sitting at home with my children, I want to tell them: ‘Now it is your turn, I have already done plenty’. That is my mindset: win, win, and always win. And if I do not win, see you next year,” he concluded.