“He dribbles past players like it’s the PlayStation” - Emmanuel Petit on whether Lamine Yamal can get more Ballon d’Or wins than Lionel Messi

Lamine Yamal has been consistently compared to Lionel Messi
Lamine Yamal has been consistently compared to Lionel Messi

Former Barcelona man Emmanuel Petit has explained why he thinks Lamine Yamal will surpass Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or count in his career. The 17-year-old appears set to inherit Messi's famous number 10 jersey at the Spanish club from the start of the 2025-26 season, and has been compared with the Argentine great.

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In a chat with EscapistMagazine, Petit detailed why he thinks Yamal is looking to emulate Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi by taking his former shirt. He pointed out that he has never seen a player of Yamal's age as impressive as the Spain international and tipped him to win more Ballon d'Ors than Messi.

“With Ansu Fati going on loan to Monaco they are a team to watch, but I assume that Lamine Yamal wants to be like Lionel Messi which is partly why he wants the 10 shirt. He plays on the right wing and there are some similarities, 10 is a special number for Barcelona and he will also be keen to fight for the Ballon d’Or. I think the Ballon d’Or is his main reason for wanting the number 10, he is 17 and he is already thinking about it, he is a tremendous footballer. I can’t name a player that has been as impressive as him at his age, every time he touches the ball something happens. You’d think he was 28 and in his prime.
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“He dribbles past players like it’s the PlayStation and he makes defenders look like cones, he has such a high ceiling, he could become even better than Messi. Messi won eight Ballons d’Or, Yamal will have motivation to go even further, he’s a joy to watch.”

Ansu Fati was regarded as the heir to Messi's throne after the Argentine left Catalunya in 2021, and he received the number 10 shirt back then. Following his temporary exit from the club to join AS Monaco, the jersey appears to be heading Yamal's way.

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Lamine Yamal has dealt very well with the Lionel Messi comparisons since the start of his career, becoming one of the world's best. He will hope to emulate his idol in another way in September, when the 2025 Ballon d'Or is handed out.

Brazilian Lionel Messi protégé reveals Ballon d'Or hopes

Brazilian sensation Estevao Willian has revealed that he dreams of competing for the Ballon d'Or in the future. The 18-year-old, who was named 'Messinho' after Lionel Messi, is one of the world's brightest talents after impressing in his native Brazil.

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Estevao spoke with AS during the FIFA Club World Cup last week, where he was asked for his thoughts on a future rivalry with Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono. The youngster revealed that he hopes for all three of them to be rivals for the Ballon d'Or, pointing out that it would be interesting.

"I sincerely hope so. We're all the same age, and it would be incredible and very interesting to find ourselves in that situation."

Estevao Willian was part of the Palmeiras side that was knocked out of the Club World Cup by Chelsea at the quarterfinal stage. He will now resume training with the Premier League side, his new club, once the competition ends later this month.

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Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen
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