Max Eberl, Bayern Munich’s board member for sport, issued a sharp response to Lamine Yamal after the Barcelona star engaged in a public debate over who deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Eberl’s stance followed Bayern’s resounding 7–0 victory over Union Berlin, a night in which Harry Kane and Michael Olise put on a dominant display that reinforced their credentials in the race for individual honors.
Yamal had previously asserted that the Ballon d’Or should go to the “best player in the world,” arguing that scoring a high volume of goals secures top-scorer awards but should not serve as the sole criterion for determining the world’s best player.
Commenting on Yamal’s remarks, Eberl stated: “It seems some campaigning is necessary in the end… The best players are those who do not need a campaign run for them.”
The German executive did not limit his defense to Kane alone, adding: “For me, Michael Olise should also be among the Ballon d’Or candidates; he is one of the best players in the world.”
Kane, meanwhile, chose to avoid a verbal back-and-forth with Yamal, emphasizing that his approach to self-expression differs from that of other contenders in the race.
“I don’t like to talk about myself too much. I speak on the pitch, and everyone is different,” the English striker noted. “The Ballon d’Or is not in my hands.”
He added: “Lamine Yamal had a fantastic season, as did Michael Olise. There are many strong candidates, and in the end, it comes down to the voters.”
The 19-year-old Yamal had emphasized that he views himself, alongside Kylian Mbappé, as the top two players in the world over the past year, stating regarding the award: “I believe I deserve it because of what I achieved.”
Bayern’s executive response was backed by events on the pitch: Olise netted a hat-trick and provided an assist, while Kane scored twice to reach 101 Bundesliga goals—becoming the fastest player in the competition’s history to hit the 100-goal mark in just 98 matches.
