“Just like Ronaldo and Messi” - After Lamine Yamal misses out on Ballon d’Or, Rivaldo tells Barcelona ace what he must do to win

Former Brazil star Rivaldo has urged Lamine Yamal to rack up more goals and assists like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to increase his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. He lauded the youngster's talent, admitting that he can win the prestigious trophy next year.

Yamal finished second behind Ousmane Dembele in the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The 18-year-old was one of the frontrunners for the award after enjoying a stellar season with La Blaugrana. He registered 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games across competitions, helping Barca to a domestic treble of the league, Copa del Rey, and Super Copa de España.

For his outstanding performances, the Spaniard won his second Kopa Trophy, becoming the only player to win the award twice, but fell short of the biggest prize on the night.

Nevertheless, Yamal has been tipped by many to win the Ballon d’Or in the future, including former Barcelona forward and 1999 winner, Rivaldo. The Brazil legend believes Yamal can clinch the award next year and has urged him to improve his goal and assist numbers, drawing parallels to Ronaldo and Messi.

Rivaldo said, as quoted by Barrca Universal:

“I think Lamine has everything it takes to win the Ballon d’Or next year, and I think he’ll stand out even more this season than last."

“But, given the way he plays, I think he’ll win the Ballon d’Or when he scores lots of goals and provides lots of assists. Not just for how he plays. Just like Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi,” he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the Ballon d’Or for almost two decades, winning a combined 13 titles. The Portuguese has five titles, while the Argentine is the record-winner with eight wins.

Yamal, meanwhile, has made a good start at the award at just 18, and will look to get his hands on the trophy in the future. He has begun the current campaign strongly, scoring two goals and creating three assists in three matches

How old were Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when they won their first Ballon d’Or?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two most successful footballers when it comes to the Ballon d’Or. The duo shared the award among themselves for 10 years, between 2008 and 2017, before Luka Modric broke the streak in 2018.

Intrestingly, both players had their first Ballon d’Or podium finish in the same year (2007), ranking second and third, respectively, behind Kaka. The next year, the Portuguese won his first of five titles at the age of 23.

In 2009, it was Messi's turn as the Argentine legend picked up his maiden Ballon d’Or aged 22. He went on to win the award for four years in a row, setting a significant gap on his archrival. Ronaldo's most recent Ballon d’Or victory was in 2017, while Messi's last win occurred in 2023.