Former Italy coach Fabio Capello has named Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal as the best footballer in the world right now. Capello, who once managed top clubs like Real Madrid, overlooked big names like Mohamed Salah, Ousmane Dembele, and even Raphinha to crown the 17-year-old as his top pick for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

He praised Yamal for doing things far beyond his age and compared the teenager to football icons like Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yamal played a major role in Spain’s European Championship victory last year, even though he was just 16 at the time.

This season, he helped Barcelona reach the Champions League semifinals and led them to a La Liga title, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s haul while scoring and assisting in a key 2-0 win over rivals Espanyol.

That victory sealed a domestic treble for Barça. Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, Capello revealed his top three picks for the Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe took second and third place, but Lamine Yamal topped his list.

In his words, “For the Ballon d’Or, I would vote Lamine Yamal. My votes would be: Vinicius, Mbappe, and first, Lamine Yamal.” Capello ended by praising Yamal’s brilliance and fearless playing style, likening it to that of the greatest footballers the game has ever seen.

Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal, has expressed gratitude to former manager Xavi for giving him the chance to begin his journey with the senior team. Yamal shared his appreciation after helping Barcelona secure the 2024/25 La Liga title with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol, where he and Fermin Lopez each found the back of the net.

Reflecting on his breakthrough, the 17-year-old said the title win wouldn’t have been possible without Xavi’s trust in young talent. “I want to thank Xavi. None of this would have happened without him,” Yamal said after the game. “He believed in us and gave us the chance to step onto the big stage.”

He added that he remains deeply grateful for Xavi’s role in shaping his path. Xavi, a legendary figure at Barcelona both as a player and coach, had previously handed Yamal his first-team debut before stepping down from his role.

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has shattered a 71-year-old club record held by Alfredo Di Stéfano. On Wednesday, Mbappe scored his 28th LaLiga goal of the season in just his 32nd league game, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a Real Madrid player in their debut league season. Di Stéfano’s record of 27 goals from the 1953-54 season finally fell, but Mbappe still has two games left to extend his tally.

The match itself was a tense battle. Real Madrid needed an injury-time goal to snatch a 2-1 victory over Mallorca and keep their hopes alive in the title race. After going behind early to a Martin Valjent strike, Mbappe pulled one back in the 68th minute, and Jacobo Ramon sealed the win deep into stoppage time.

This win is crucial for Carlo Ancelotti’s team after a damaging defeat to Barcelona last weekend, which left Real four points behind their rivals. Barcelona can clinch the league with a win in their local derby against Espanyol, but a draw or loss would keep the title race wide open heading into the final two matches.

Di Stéfano remains one of Real Madrid’s greatest scorers with 306 goals in 392 games, but only Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Raul have surpassed his total goals for the club. Now, Mbappe is making his mark among the legends.