Raydrid CF

There is absolutely no way Lamine Yamal had a better season than Michael Olise. Both are right wingers, so this is a direct like-for-like comparison. Statistically, Olise was miles ahead. He delivered in big matches, broke assist records, and earned a place in both the Champions League and World Cup Teams of the Tournament. Meanwhile, Yamal managed just one goal contribution at the World Cup despite playing for the strongest team in the competition. His impact in major matches throughout the season was nowhere near good enough to justify ranking him above Olise. The Ballon d’Or has always been a PR award show, where media hype and popularity matter more than actual performances on the pitch.