Lamine Yamal will head to Monday's Ballon d'Or gala in London on a private jet with family, friends and his closest circle, while Barcelona travel separately. The ceremony is at the London Palladium and starts at 21:00 in Spain, with the club's official delegation led by Joan Laporta.
Yamal's own London plan
According to Estadio Deportivo, Lamine Yamal has arranged the trip himself rather than joining Barcelona's official travel plan. Víctor Navarro said the winger has hired a private plane to travel to the English capital together with his relatives, friends and the people who are part of his closest circle.
That fits the tone of this occasion. Yamal is a candidate for the men's Ballon d'Or and for best young player for the third consecutive year, and he is treating the night like something personal rather than a standard club function. Barcelona's league form adds to that backdrop, with the team top of La Liga on 27 points from 9 matches.
Last year's Paris reminder
The London trip also carries memory. Last year in Paris, Yamal finished second in Ballon d'Or voting behind Ousmane Dembélé and took the Kopa Trophy as the best young player.
Navarro said, "It is something that already happened with Messi," drawing a line between Yamal's plans and a previous Barcelona star's experience. The comparison is hard to avoid, even if the prize on Monday is still only up for grabs.
Yamal's own numbers help explain why he is back in the conversation. He has 9 La Liga appearances, 8 goals and 6 assists this season, plus 3 Champions League appearances, 2 goals and 4 assists. Barcelona arrive on a perfect five-match league run, and he goes to London with the spotlight set on him again.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
