A World Cup-winning legend has boldly predicted that Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal will claim the Ballon d’Or.
Whether legitimate or not, this hyperbole signals the meteoric rise of the 17-year-old Spanish icon, who has already established himself as a promising future star among fans and pundits alike.
His technical ability, fearless dribbling, and maturity have him in this position as one of the best young stars in the sport, and are sparks already being fanned in fever-pitch questions of whether Yamal can be the best player in football.
The observations come from Frank Leboeuf, a veteran footballer and World Cup and European Champion from France.
Leboeuf’s positioning of Yamal is vindicated with the impact he has had already at Barcelona and for Spain, where he recently became the youngest-ever goal-scorer at a European Championship.
Dembélé, in relative terms, another dynamo for Barcelona, is talented, but Leboeuf thinks Dembélé is too inconsistent and carries injuries, stopping him from being a contender for the Ballon d’Or.
On the contrary, Leboeuf’s feelings have numerous descriptions of Yamal’s potential, suggesting a player who will land in the stratosphere, leading La Propagande to already be able to compare Yamal to Lionel Messi.
Yamal’s catachresis is astounding. The way he shapes games, be it with laser-sharp assists or pogo stick goals, means he is now the focal point of Barcelona’s offense.
At such a young age, he has extraordinary calmness under pressure and versatility across the entire frontline.
In addition, Leboeuf’s endorsement adds gravitas to the noise around Yamal, who will soon be among the players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé competing for the game’s highest individual award.
As the rest of the footballing world looks on, and before the Ballon d’Or talk heats up again, it will be important for Yamal to stay in form and avoid the pitfalls that have affected other young prodigies.
In the meantime, it is an interesting proposition that Leboeuf has kicked off around a player that is surely only going to get better.
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