Gary Lineker has declared Lamine Yamal to be the best player in world football on the back of Barcelona’s 3-3 draw with Inter in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the former Barcelona striker reflected on Yamal’s performance and believes the sky is the limit for the teenager.
“That was one of the great performances I’ve seen in the Champions League by a 17-year-old,” said Lineker.
“He’s 18 in July, he’s already played 100 games. Just watching him, he goes past players almost as though they’re invisible. He makes it look so easy to be a payer.
“His decision making is almost always right, the ability to cut in and bend in the little crosses, the little floaty crosses he hits in, he’s just extraordinary.
“This is not just a gem, this is the next coming. All I’m going to say is a 17-year-old has a seriously good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or. They could easily win the Treble this season, and then it’ll probably be between him and Raphinha.
“And to be honest, the best player at the moment in world football I think is Lamine Yamal. And it seems extraordinary to say but I’ve watched a lot of Barcelona’s games; he’s incredible.”
While a number of players have been favourite for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Yamal will take some stopping if Barcelona do indeed win the UEFA Champions League, likely completing the Treble in the process.
Ronaldo remains the youngest player to win the Ballon d’Or after a remarkable season for Barcelona, scoring 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions. The Brazilian was 21 years old at the time of his Ballon d’Or win and it’s a record Yamal could smash.
The current 6/4 favourite, Yamal looks set to break the record as the youngest Ballon d’Or winner, even if it’s not this year.
Ousmane Dembele took the plaudits in Tuesday night for his winning goal against Arsenal, but Yamal’s performance against Inter was stratospheric and will be talked about for years to come.
Pundits around the world found themselves running out of superlatives for Yamal, with Thierry Henry saying he played like a man possessed, while Jamie Carragher called the performance ‘Messi-esque’.
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