"It's amazing what he's doing" - Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba names Barcelona star as candidate for Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba believes Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal is a contender for the Ballon d'Or award this season. The former Blaugrana left-back also heaped praise on the youngster, commending the improvement in his physicality over the last couple of years.

In a lengthy discussion, Alba spoke extensively about his former club, Barcelona and commented on Yamal's performance. He said (via Barca Universal):

"He made his debut with us with Barcelona and I think he was 15 years old. He already looked like a different kind of player, but the physical change he’s made over the last two years has made him a standout player."

He continued:

"It’s amazing what he’s doing. He is among the candidates to win the Ballon d’Or. Let him continue like this, improving, learning and listening to people who understand the game. I hope he does great. It’s great to see him play."

Fans and pundits alike have been highly impressed by Yamal's tremendous performances this term. Some have even compared the Spaniard to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

Yamal has stood out and been decisive in Barca's run on various fronts this term. He has already helped them win LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España this season, putting him in contention for the Ballon d’Or.

"He's not a genius like Messi" - Fabio Capello on Lamine Yamal

The Sporting Mixed Zone - Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2025 - Source: Getty

Legendary manager Fabio Capello recently acknowledged that Yamal was a tremendous player. However, he insisted that the Spaniard was not a footballing genius like Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona.

In an interview, Capello shared his views on the comparison between Yamal and La Pulga. He said (via Barca Universal on X):

"Lamine Yamal is a great player with a lot of quality, and he can improve. But he's not a phenomenon. He's not a genius like Messi or Maradona".

Meanwhile, across competitions, Yamal has netted 17 goals and recorded 25 assists in 53 outings for the Catalan club this term. At age 17, the Spaniard has refined Barca's frontline.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava