Lamine Yamal responded to losing the Ballon d'Or with a message dripping in ambition and confidence. The Barcelona star insists the award will come in time, and that he trusts the path he is on.
Yamal took to Instagram the day after Harry Kane's win, writing: "Everything will come in its time, good things take time. I trust the path I am building. Without haste, with enthusiasm, and with a calm that comes from my belief that my moment will come one day."
He then congratulated the winners and turned his attention to the club: "Congratulations to the winners, my focus now returns to what matters, which is bringing Barcelona back to the path of victories."
Disappointment turns into ambition
Yamal claimed the world's best young player award for a third year running. But his sights were set higher. He believed lifting the World Cup would hand him a genuine shot at the biggest prize of all.
Disappointment flashed across the teenager's face the moment Kane's name was read out. A day later, his message told a different story: determination to keep grafting and wait for his next chance.
His Ballon d'Or record already stands out. Two podium finishes in a row, runner-up last time behind Ousmane Dembélé, and third this time around.
Support from his team-mates and his partner
The message drew a flood of replies from current and former team-mates, all keen to rally round him.
Fermín López commented: "It will come, and it will come more than once. I am always with you."
Iñigo Martínez chipped in with his own words of support: "There are talents that do not need awards to prove their worth."
His partner Inés García went further still, posting a lengthy tribute to his talent: "Work is always rewarded in the end. Your effort and your ambition go hand in hand every day. We trust you and believe in you completely. You are the best and the whole world will realise that in the end. I love you, my life, and I will always stand by your side with all my strength."