Lionel Messi (36) has picked Lamine Yamal (16) to win the Ballon d’Or.
“In the next few years there will be a very beautiful rivalry with Elling Holland, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and many young players competing for the Ballon d’Or,” Messi said, according to the UK’s Daily Mail on Tuesday.
“I think Yamal, who is still young and currently playing for Barcelona, will also play an important role and compete. Of course, there will be other players competing, and there will be new players that we don’t know about. So it’s going to be a very beautiful era to enjoy,” he added.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or, considered the highest honor, eight times. He was honored in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. He is followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (five times), Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten (three times), Alfredo Di Spettano, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Ronaldo (two times).
Now that the ‘Menaldo’ era is coming to an end, new faces will be competing for the honor. Holland, Mbappe, Vinicius, and Jude Bellingham are just a few of the young, yet world-class, players who are in the mix.
Messi pointed to Yamal as one of them. Yamal is a big Spanish prospect. The winger grew up in Barcelona’s youth system, La Masia, where he was a consistent performer. He was called up last season and knocked on the door of the first team, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history to make his league debut against Real Betis in La Liga 카지노 Round 32. This season, he has been a regular fixture and has performed well. In 39 official games, he has scored six goals and provided seven assists. Surprisingly, he’s only 16 years old.
He has already been called up to the Spain A team. He made his debut in September last year against Georgia in an A match. He played six games until last March’s A match, scoring a goal against Georgia and one against Cyprus, as well as a penalty kick and an assist against Brazil.
Of course, Yamal won’t be on the Ballon d’Or podium right away like Holland, Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, and others. But at the rate he’s going, he’ll be in contention in a few years. And it”s even more exciting because Messi himself said so.