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Palmeiras sensation Estevao Willian has named Barcelona star Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono as players he hopes to rival for the Ballon d'Or in the future. The Chelsea-bound youngster has impressed at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup ahead of joining the Blues later this summer.
Ahead of a showdown against his future club for a place in the semifinal of the Club World Cup in Philadelphia, Estevao sat down with AS for an interview. He hailed Barcelona's Lamine Yamal for his quality, revealing that he rooted for the 17-year-old to win the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.
"He's a fantastic young man, a great player who had an incredible season. I followed him closely in the Champions League, and I was really rooting for him and Raphinha, especially (laughs)."
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When asked about Real Madrid-bound Franco Mastantuono, the 18-year-old praised the midfielder for having incredible potential. He revealed that because Mastantuono played in South America with River Plate, he was able to follow his games.
"He's also a great player who's been growing a lot. I've also followed his games since he's been playing in South America. He has incredible potential."
He expressed hope that alongside Lamine Yamal and Mastantuono, he would compete to win the Ballon d'Or in the future.
"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 has been likened to Yamal, whose talent has lit up Europe over the past 18 months or so. With Mastantuono also set to join Real Madrid this summer, the talented teenage trio will look to outdo one another while playing among Europe's elite.
Lamine Yamal already has a significant head start on the duo, seeing as he is a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or this year. The teenage star helped Barcelona win the domestic double, as well as the Supercopa de España, during the 2024-25 season.
Barcelona legend makes Lamine Yamal Ballon d'Or admission
Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov has revealed that he will personally hand Lamine Yamal the Ballon d'Or if he wins this year. The 17-year-old is regarded as a favourite for the award after a stunning season for club and country in which he announced himself as a world-class player.
In an interview with Carrusel Deportivo (via GOAL), Stoichkov made the announcement, while also hailing Yamal for his quality. He went on to name Marquinhos and Vitinha as players who can challenge the Spaniard for the award.
"If Yamal wins [this year's Ballon d'Or], I will give it to him personally. I really enjoy watching Yamal because he has so many interesting qualities. If you tell me that Paris Saint-Germain's Marquinhos is the one to [challenge Yamal], I would believe you too. We also have Vitinha, who has also played fantastically this season."
The list of nominees for the award will be revealed in August, while the award ceremony will take place in September. Yamal earned a top 10 finish in last year's edition and could end up finishing first this time around.
