Yamal Not Waiting on the Ballon d'Or: Sensational Month Delivers 11 Goals and 7 Assists in 8 Matches

Xavier Ortuño, Marca

September belonged entirely to Lamine Yamal. From the clash against Rayo Vallecano on August 31 to Tuesday's fixture against Croatia, the Barcelona forward racked up 11 goals and 7 assists across eight consecutive appearances. That totals 18 direct goal contributions spanning La Liga, the Champions League, and the Nations League. The feat is all the more impressive given his tentative start to the campaign, having failed to score or assist in the opening two competitive fixtures against Elche and Athletic Club, which sparked brief debates surrounding his form.

From Rayo to Mestalla

The forward's emphatic response came at Spotify Camp Nou. In a 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, Yamal bagged his first brace of the season to spark a comeback following Camello's opener. A week later, he repeated the trick at Mestalla, scoring in both halves during a 5-0 demolition of Valencia that sent Barcelona clear at the top of the table.

A Sparkling Champions League Start

His European bow of the season against Feyenoord (5-1) proved to be one of his standout performances of the month. Yamal set up Raphinha's opener, extended the lead to 4-0 with a pinpoint free-kick, and assisted Gabriel Jesus for the final goal in the 5-1 rout, marking the Brazilian's debut strike for the Blaugrana.

Goals and Assists on the Domestic Front

At the Ciutat de València against Levante (4-2), the youngster struck twice once again—his second coming from the penalty spot—capping a run of three consecutive league braces. Against Racing Santander (7-2), Yamal experienced a rollercoaster of emotions: he missed a penalty but made amends with two assists for João Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus before rounding off the scoring in the 89th minute. Away to Sevilla at the Sánchez-Pizjuán (3-1), while he did not get on the scoresheet, he set up two goals in Raphinha's hat-trick to keep Barcelona's winning momentum rolling.

Outshining Kane at Wembley

In a Spain shirt, his relentless pace showed no signs of slowing down. In their Nations League opener at Wembley, Yamal punished a Marc Guéhi error inside just two minutes. Although England completed a temporary turnaround, La Roja snatched a 3-2 victory courtesy of strikes from Baena and Oyarzabal. In the opposing camp was Harry Kane—one of his chief competitors for the Ballon d'Or. While the Bayern Munich striker found the net, he rattled the crossbar from the penalty spot at 2-1.

A Masterclass in Seville

On Tuesday night, Yamal returned to the Sánchez-Pizjuán pitch, this time on international duty against Croatia, and delivered arguably his finest display of September. The forward broke the deadlock inside the opening seconds, set up Marc Pubill for 2-1 with an exquisite cross from the right wing, and made it 3-1 in the 63rd minute after being played in by Pedri. He left the field to a rapturous standing ovation, ending the night with two goals and an assist.

After the Ballot Closes

This scintillating streak coincided with the closing stages of the race for the Ballon d'Or. Voting officially ended on Monday, September 28, and the winner will be crowned on October 26 at a prestigious gala in London—hosted outside Paris for the first time. Although the evaluation period concluded on July 19 following Spain's Euro triumph and September's fixtures have no bearing on the vote, Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane remain the leading frontrunners. The winner is already sealed inside the envelope, but Barcelona's number 10 ensured no one forgets his sheer quality: eight top-tier performances and a winning duel against Kane on his home turf.