Cristiano Ronaldo believes Barcelona’s adolescent wonder, Lamine Yamal, will be “the best player of this new generation.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner says he has been impressed with the 17-year-old’s performance thus far.
“He’s got a huge potential,” Ronaldo told Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel. I see a lot of talent. But let’s see what happens on his voyage.
“But I believe he will make it. “He will be the best player in this new generation.”
Yamal, who scored Barça’s sole goal in a 2-1 Champions League loss to Monaco on Thursday, has set multiple records since his debut.
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Yamal, 16, became the youngest scorer in LaLiga history and the youngest player to compete in a European Championship.
He won the Young Player of the Tournament award at the 2024 Euros after helping Spain win the tournament.
Girona coach Míchel Sánchez feels Yamal has the potential to reach Lionel Messi’s level after watching him play against his team in the Catalan derby on Sunday.
However, Yamal says that he wants to be his own player, despite being honored to be compared to Barcelona superstar Messi, “the greatest player in the history of football.”
Ronaldo believes Yamal is in an excellent position to succeed.
“He needs luck because he is very young,” Ronaldo stated. “I hope he has no problems [with injuries]. He is in an extremely advantageous situation. Spain’s national squad is quite good.”
“You go to a club that the environmental is clean, that it’s good and you grow like the others, like [Madrid players] Camavinga, Rodrygo, like Vinícius. I think he [Bellingham] is in a team that will help him become a top player.”
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