“Ya es uno de los mejores”: Lionel Messi respalda a Lamine Yamal para el Balón de Oro
ES 
EN Lionel Messi has praised Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal, calling him one of the best players in the world already, and backing him to reach even greater heights. The 17-year-old has been a driving force in Barcelona’s pursuit of a historic treble this season and a standout star of Euro 2024.
Lamine Yamal’s rise over the past two years has been nothing short of spectacular. He helped Spain win the European Championship, scoring a wonder goal in the semi-final against France, which was named the Goal of the Tournament.
Success with the Spanish national team has also attracted personal recognition at the global stage, as the Barca starlet has added the Best Under-23 Player, the Kopa Trophy, and the Golden Boy Award.
At the age of 17 years and 53 days, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award, finishing in eighth place. This feat led to Lamine Yamal’s agent, Jorge Mendes, believing that Yamal could be a recipient of the next Ballon d’Or award or even future awards.
Lea también: Remontada de Old Trafford: Una noche para los veteranos olvidados
Speaking to Simplemente Futbol, Lionel Messi believes that Lamine Yamal is on the path to greatness.
“It’s impressive what Lamine Yamal shows… he’s already been a Euro champion with Spain.
He’s still only 17, he’s in a growth process, and he’ll continue to grow as a player and add things to his game, just like I did. He has incredible qualities and he’s already one of the best players in the world.”
Lamine Yamal has scored fourteen goals this season but has faced the odd criticism of not scoring enough.
Reporters questioned his lack of goal-scoring just after the Valencia match in October of 2024, to which he responded:
“If I score in the Champions League final or semifinal, La Liga… [won’t matter]. Same applied to Vinicius.
“We’re the type of players where, if people focus on us not scoring in the league but doing well in the Champions League, it just shows we’re on the right track. When we do score, they’ll say we’re not getting assists.
“So, as long as we [Barcelona] stay top of La Liga, I’m happy — and the goals will come.”
Lamine Yamal’s stats do not match Raphinha’s, who has 40 goal contributions in 38 matches this season and is currently number one in the Ballon d’Or ranking, with Lamine in third. But with his 13 goals and 17 assists this season at just the age of 17, you are sure that this is just the beginning.
Publicar comentario