Lamine Yamal's response to being left out of Ousmane Dembele's Ballon d'Or ranking is going viral

Lamine Yamal brought up Ousmane Dembele's friendship with Kylian Mbappe as he responded to being left out of the Paris Saint-Germain forward's picks for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Ahead of the nominees being announced on Tuesday afternoon, last year's winner named Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as his top three candidates for the award.

Speaking to France Football, the organisers of the Ballon d'Or, Dembele said: "Kvara, and Harry Kane who had a very, very good season, and I think Kylian Mbappe."

READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe called 'childish' and 'pathetic' after controversial Ballon d'Or comments

Lamine Yamal laughs off Ousmane Dembele snub in press conference

Yamal, who is one of the favourites to win next month's Ballon d'Or, was asked about being left out of Dembele's picks for the award as he spoke to the media ahead of Barcelona's clash against Feyenoord.

The 19-year-old proceeded to bring up Dembele's friendship with Mbappe, a response that has gone viral.

“He’s Kylian Mbappe’s friend, right?" he said, as per Fabrizio Romano. “I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we faced each other, I probably did something that made them dislike me. And that’s normal.

"My relationship with Ousmane is very good, and I understand that he wants to choose other players."

Yamal responds to Dembele's Ballon d'Or picks. Image credit: @FabrizioRomano/X

Ousmane Dembele mentions player who people "forget" that "deserves" to be in Ballon d'Or contention

In the interview with France Football, Dembele talked up Paris Saint-Germain's efforts instead of concentrating on his own personal achievements, something Kylian Mbappe has been accused of in recent days.

Dembele also reserved praise for PSG teammate William Pacho, who played a key role for Luis Enrique's side last season as they defended their European crown.

"Me? Oh no, I never put myself in such matters," he said after being asked about his voting pattern.

"I do not vote for myself at all. If I were the one talking, I would not vote for myself. There are also many other players, Michael Olise could be on the list because he had an amazing season and was the best player in the German league."

Dembele did mention Lamine Yamal later on in the interview as someone who impressed him last season alongside Fabian Ruiz and (William) Pacho.

"We forget the latter, Pacho," added the Frenchman. "I hope we do not forget him this year because he deserves it."