Flick: Yamal will win the Ballon d'Or 'one day'

Lamine Yamal may lose out on this year's Ballon d'Or, though Hansi Flick is confident the teenager will win the award down the line.

Yamal has been one of the brightest stars in a resurgent Barcelona side over the past two seasons.

The 18-year-old has scored 20 goals and provided 23 assists since the start of last season, helping Barca to a domestic treble in 2024-25. No player in Europe's top five leagues has completed more dribbles in all competitions in the same timeframe than Yamal’s 262.

He has already registered two goals and three assists in LaLiga this season as Flick’s side have got off to a positive start, trailing leaders Real Madrid by just two points after four matches.

Yamal, who has missed Barca's last two games due to injury, is among the favourites to win this year's award, which will be handed out on Monday, with team-mate Raphinha and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele also hotly tipped.

And though Flick, who confirmed Yamal will again be absent when Barca take on Getafe on Sunday, is unsure on whether the Spain star will clinch this year's award, he feels it is only a matter of time until he wins it.

Flick said: "I don't know [whether he will win the Ballon d’Or on Monday].

"One day we'll see Lamine win this trophy, but whoever wins it this year will deserve it. For me, anyway, it's a matter of respect to be nominated."

Speaking on the clash against the ever-feisty Getafe, Flick added: "For me, the most important thing is my team.

"Playing on Thursday, we need to recover more quickly. It's important to have fresh legs on the pitch tomorrow."

Getafe are sitting pretty in fifth place in LaLiga with three wins from their opening four fixtures.

After wins over Celta Vigo and Sevilla, Jose Bordalas’ side slumped to defeat against Valencia, though they bounced back with a comprehensive win over 10-man Real Oviedo last time out.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Barcelona – Marcus Rashford

Rashford opened his account for Barcelona in style with a brace in their midweek Champions League win over Newcastle United, becoming just the fifth player to score twice or more on his European debut for Barcelona.

The Manchester United loanee had six shots against the Magpies, while registering 10 touches in the opposition box and five dribbles, creating two chances while recording a team-high individual expected goals (xG) value of 0.37.

Getafe – Luis Milla

Getafe midfielder Luis Milla has provided four assists in LaLiga in 2025-26 – the most assists managed by a player after his team's opening four games of a season in the Spanish top flight.

It equals a record set by Cesc Fabregas, who teed up four goals in Barcelona's opening four matches in 2013-14.

MATCH PREDICTION: BARCELONA WIN

Barcelona have not lost any of their 20 home games against Getafe in LaLiga (W16 D4), their best home record against any side in the top flight bar Elche (P24 W17 D7).

Indeed, the hosts have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three home games against Getafe in LaLiga, winning all three, and could equal their longest clean sheet run at home against them in the competition, achieved between 2015 and 2019 (four).

But there is still some optimism for Getafe, who have picked up points in five of their last 10 league matches against Barca (W1 D4 L5), once more than in their previous 21 matches against the Catalans in the competition (W1 D3 L17).

But Getafe boss Bordalas has a famously poor record against the Blaugrana, having lost 10 of his 14 league matches against them – his worst record against any side except Real Madrid (13 losses).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Barcelona – 72.6%

Draw – 16.5%

Getafe – 10.9%