Lamine Yamal’s uncle has publicly expressed his disappointment at Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph in a fiery rant.

Yamal finished third in the rankings behind winner Kane and second-placed Kylian Mbappé, although he did pick up the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player, for a third successive year.

The Spaniard was gracious when collecting the award, even claiming his Spain and Barcelona team-mate Pau Cubarsí deserved it instead of him.

“I would have liked to see my team-mate [Pau] Cubarsí here because I think this prize should have been for him,” he explained. “He has been playing at an excellent level for some time. This is my third year up here for this prize. I would like to thank my club and my national team.

“Speaking about this one specifically, this one should have been for Cubarsí.”

Lamine Yamal’s uncle slams decision to award Harry Kane Ballon d’Or

And despite Yamal seemingly accepting his third-place finish in the main award, his uncle Abdul Abdellaoui was not best pleased with the result and gave a fiery interview to El Larguero.

“Well, the truth is it’s really sad. I feel really bad," he said.

“My nephew was amazing, he was the best player in the world, everyone knows it. If you like football, you go to see Lamine, not Harry Kane.

“Harry Kane is a great goalscorer, but Lamine is the best player who shines on the pitch and, if he’s unlucky, there’s next year.”

Abdellaoui also claimed that Yamal’s age may have negatively affected the result.

“Since Lamine is young, they always say he has time, he’s 19, and that’s why they’re not giving him the award,” he added.

“Harry, with only three days of football left, they’re saying, ‘come on, we’ll give him the award’.

“He’s won the World Cup, La Liga and the Super Cup. He plays really well, he’s had an incredible season, he scores goals that nobody else can. Passes, assists, whatever you want.”

“Lamine will win more than one, but the sadness will pass in three days. In a few days, he will be fine.”

Barça president Joan Laporta also made clear that he believed Yamal deserved to win the gong and urged his team-mates to support him.

“In my view, he did enough to win the Ballon d’Or, but the voters decided the matter this way, and that must be accepted in a sporting spirit,” Laporta said.

“I hope this will be a motivation for him on a personal level, and I am sure it will be. All his team-mates will help him get over this disappointment quickly.

“We must give him love and support because he deserves it.”

Yamal will now turn his attention to Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Alavés on October 31.

Men’s Ballon d’Or

1. Harry Kane
2. Kylian Mbappé
3. Lamine Yamal
4. Rodri
5. Lionel Messi
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
7. Ousmane Dembélé
8. Erling Haaland
9. Michael Olise
10. Fabián Ruiz

Women’s Ballon d’Or

1. Alexia Putellas
2. Ewa Pajor
3. Khadija Shaw
4. Melchie Dumornay
5. Patri Guijarro
6. Caroline Graham Hansen
7. Pernille Harder
8. Clàudia Pina
9. Alessia Russo
10. Temwa Chawinga

Men’s Kopa Trophy

1. Lamine Yamal
2. Pau Cubarsí
3. Warren Zaïre-Emery
4. Lennart Karl
5. Yan Diomande
6. Ayyoub Bouaddi
7. Kerim Alajbegović
8. Éli Junior Kroupi
9. Ibrahim Maza
10. Johan Manzambi

Men’s Yashin Trophy

1. Unai Simón
2. David Raya
3. Thibaut Courtois
4. Matvey Safonov
5. Emiliano Martínez
6. Vozinha
7. Joan García
8. Yassine Bounou
9. Édouard Mendy
10. Gregor Kobel