Luis de la Fuente demands Ballon d'Or recognition for Spain stars and tips Lamine Yamal for future glory

Spain head coach De la Fuente has insisted that a Spanish player should be crowned the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or. Speaking on Thursday during the presentation of next month's UEFA Nations League fixture against the Czech Republic in Oviedo, the manager questioned Mikel Oyarzabal's absence from the official 30-man shortlist. The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or were announced earlier this week, with the ceremony set to take place in London on October 26.

De la Fuente praised the immense talent of Yamal, voicing full confidence that the Barcelona prodigy possesses every attribute required to claim football's most prestigious individual accolade.

Championing homegrown quality, the manager stated: "I always back domestic talent, the 'Brand Spain'; we are world-class in terms of development, performance, and quality. Off the top of my head, I'd say Mikel Oyarzabal is missing from the nominees list - whoever had to write down the names must have dropped the paper on the floor and left him out."

Assessing Yamal's trajectory, he added: "I think Lamine Yamal can win the Ballon d'Or because he is Spanish and an incredible footballer. If it's not this year, it will be in the future; I don't think it will take him too long to win it. I see him doing very well at the start of this season, and we want to enjoy him for many years to come."

Addressing Llorente's decision to retire from international duty after lifting the 2026 World Cup, De la Fuente revealed the midfielder reached out to him beforehand, with the manager expressing his "absolute respect and gratitude" to a player with whom he maintains a "fantastic relationship".

When quizzed on the potential inclusion of emerging talents such as Carlos Espi and Xavi Espart, the boss remarked: "They will certainly be there in the future. There is no need to rush, and we must show respect to a generation of footballers who have won absolutely everything in recent years."

Spain face a demanding triple-header in the upcoming international break, kicking off their UEFA Nations League campaign away to England on September 26 before hosting Croatia three days later. De la Fuente's side then welcome the Czech to the Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo on October 3 as they balance tactical fine-tuning with gradual squad regeneration. The high-profile fixture run also offers La Roja's leading figures a prime platform ahead of the Ballon d'Or gala in London.