Sport
Rio Ferdinand Says 17-Year-Old Yamal Is Better Than Young Messi and Ronaldo
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand believes Lamine Yamal is ahead of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when they were 17. While Ronaldo and Messi are widely regarded as two of the greatest to ever play football, Ferdinand thinks Yamal is showing signs of something even more special at his age.
The young Barcelona star has been turning heads with his standout performances for Spain at Euro 2024, building on a season where he helped Barça clinch a domestic treble. At just 17, he’s already setting and breaking records, and even being mentioned in early Ballon d’Or conversations.
Speaking on his podcast, Ferdinand didn’t hold back when asked if Yamal is better than Ronaldo was at 17. “Absolutely,” he said. “He’s doing things neither Ronaldo nor Messi were doing at that age. His potential might even be higher. At 17, no one’s had this kind of impact.”
He added, “Maybe Pele did, but I didn’t see him play. What Yamal is doing right now is unbelievable.” Yamal’s rise suggests he’s not just the future of Spanish football—he might be the future of the game itself.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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