Marcus Rashford has claimed Lamine Yamal could win seven Ballon d’Or awards in the future, placing the Barcelona winger close to Lionel Messi.
The 29-year-old made the claim during a Q&A with Manchester United supporters in the Ambassadors’ Lounge at Old Trafford, before Tuesday’s Champions League game against Roma. Audio from the session leaked on social media and was reported by Mundo Deportivo.
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Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona before the Catalans declined to make the move permanent, which gave him a close view of Lamine Yamal’s rise. He was quoted by Mundo Deportivo as saying:
“Before I left Barca, I told Lamine Yamal that I had played with some very talented players, but that he is above all of them.”
Rashford believes Yamal is the closest anybody can be to Lionel Messi, and hyped his ex-teammate’s talent.
“I have never seen a player of that age with as much talent as him, he is the closest anyone can be to [Lionel] Messi’s level throughout the years.
“I believe a lot in this boy’s talent, if he ends up winning seven Ballon d’Ors it won’t surprise me. He has finished second, third, and eighth. And at what age, 19 years old?”
Notably, seven would leave Lamine Yamal one short of Lionel Messi‘s record eight and two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s five Ballon d’Or wins.
Yamal finished eighth in 2024, second to Ousmane Dembele in 2025 and third in 2026 behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. However, he picked up the Kopa Trophy for the third year running.
What did Hansi Flick say about Lamine Yamal’s 2026 Ballon d’Or snub?
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick was asked about the snub on the eve of the Alaves fixture and chose to praise the reaction rather than argue with the vote. He said:
“I’m very proud of Lamine. Because he reacted very good, in my opinion. And what I see also in the training, he’s very focused and this is the way how champions respond.”
Club president Joan Laporta was less diplomatic, saying Yamal “deserved to win” and that the outcome should serve as motivation. Yamal posted on social media that his time “will come”. The 19-year-old will be hoping to win the Ballon d’Or next year.
Lionel Messi was the last Barcelona player to win the individual award. The Argentine received the honor while playing for the club in 2019.
Edited by Nived Zenith
