These are days when the world of football is divided by the Ballon d'Or election, which will be awarded at a ceremony on Monday, October 26 in London, and in which Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé appear as the top candidates to win this distinction for the first time. But fate was capricious and wanted both stars to face each other 24 hours before finding out who will be the best player on the planet, in the clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid to be played at Camp Nou on matchday 10 of LaLiga.
The Blaugrana star is pure spectacle at the start of this European season: nutmegs, flicks, fake rabonas, stunning goals into the top corner and even toe-poke finishes; he is the most destabilizing player in Hansi Flick's attack. Beyond the visual, the numbers back it up, with 10 goals and 10 assists in 12 matches played between LaLiga and the Champions League. As if that weren't enough, he was a world champion this year with Spain.
In the other corner is Mbappé, who began the season resisted by the Madrid fans, but through great performances, goals and magic (like on the previous matchday against Sevilla), he turned boos into applause at the Santiago Bernabéu. He is Mourinho's go-to goalscorer. He has accumulated 12 goals and 3 assists in 12 matches. In North America 2026 he did not lift the trophy like Yamal, but he had an individual performance almost impossible to match, with 10 goals that allowed him to rise as the all-time top scorer...
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These are days when the football world is divided by the Ballon d'Or election, which will be handed out at a ceremony on Monday, October 26 in London, and in which Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé appear as the top candidates to win this distinction for the first time. But fate was whimsical and wanted both stars to face each other 24 hours before finding out who will be the best on the planet, in the clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid to be played at Camp Nou on matchday 10 of LaLiga. The Blaugrana star is oozing spectacle at the start of this European season: nutmegs, chips, fake rabonas, stunning goals into the top corner and even toe-poke finishes; he is the most unbalancing player in Hansi Flick's attack. Beyond the visual, the numbers reaffirm it, with 10 goals and 10 assists in 12 matches played between LaLiga and the Champions League. As if that were not enough, he was a world champion this year with Spain. Photo: Barcelona on X. In the other corner is Mbappé, who began the season resisted by the Madrid fans, but through great performances, goals and magic (like on the previous matchday against Sevilla), he turned boos into applause at the Santiago Bernabéu. He is Mourinho's go-to goalscorer. He has accumulated 12 goals and 3 assists in 12 matches. In North America 2026 he did not lift the cup like Yamal, but he had an individual performance almost impossible to match, with 10 goals that allowed him to rise as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history at 27 years old. Although Kiki wants more for this season: "I'm fine. I can do more. I'm one of those players who always has to be pushed for more. It's never enough for a player like me," he said after the match against Leipzig. Photo: Real Madrid on X. It is worth noting that the Paris-born player will now indeed be able to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony, accompanied by his teammates, since Real Madrid put an end to the boycott it started in 2024 against this award, after Rodri was the winner that time over Vinícius Júnior. Curiously, the Spanish midfielder is also another of the candidates to win this prize in 2026. Will history repeat itself? 250 million dollars on Mourinho's backBeyond the individual names, the reality in Spain's First Division shows that the Culé side leads solidly with 27 points, while the capital side is third with 21. Mou's men need to cut the gap so that the goal of winning LaLiga again does not become even more uphill, something they have not done since 2024. In fact, in the last two editions they had to watch the Blaugranas lift the crown. A win for Hansi Flick's side would stretch the difference to nine points, which would be quite a blow for José Mourinho and Florentino Pérez, who in this last transfer window spent more than 250 million dollars. The signing of striker Yan Diomandé stands out, for whom they paid around 150 million in US currency, the most expensive signing in the club's history. The Madrid president's infinite wallet now puts pressure on Mou, since the results obtained in the domestic competition are still not convincing. Photo: Real Madrid on X. The Portuguese strategist's record against Barcelona is quite evenly matched. During his previous spell at the club (between 2010 and 2013) he faced Barça in 17 official matches, in which he recorded five wins, six draws and six losses. These cold numbers hide unforgettable memories, such as the 5-0 defeat in the 2010-2011 season or the 2011 Copa del Rey final they won with a header from Cristiano Ronaldo. In those years Mourinho faced the team coached by Pep Guardiola with Lionel Messi at the helm, one of the best squads in history. Now he will try to improve his numbers against a Barcelona that, although it does not shine as it did in that era, still earns applause. Barça and their first defeat of the seasonCuriously, despite Hansi Flick's impressive numbers, this clásico arrives at the only moment of doubt they have shown during this season. Midweek they fell 4-2 to PSG in the Champions League, which goes down in the statistics as their first official defeat of the 2026-2027 season. Nevertheless, in the Culé squad they are confident that this stumble will not affect the level they showed throughout this start of the season: "It doesn't affect us for the clásico, we have competed at the highest level," said Gerard Martín ahead of the clash with Madrid. NEWSLETTEREl DeportivoMonday, 8:45 AMA special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the Sports team of La Tercera. By signing up you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.