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Mark Goldbridge has hit out at Rio Ferdinand for backing Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or. The YouTuber believes that Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele have been better than the Barcelona teenager this season.
Taking to Twitter/X, Goldbridge claimed that it was Ferdinand with his sensational takes once again when the Manchester United legend spoke about the Ballon d'Or on Thursday morning (May 1). He believes that the calls for Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or are premature:
"Yamal is sensational but the mainstream coverage of him and handing him the Ballon d'Or is so insulting. [Barca teammate] Raphinha is having an immense season and so is [Ousmane] Dembele at PSG. Less Rio sensationalism and more realism in the analysis please."
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Lamine Yamal has been in great form for Barcelona this season and has helped them beat Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey. The teenager has also done well in LaLiga as the club inches closer to the title, while he has been a key figure as they push for a place in the UEFA Champions League final.
What did Rio Ferdinand say about Lamine Yamal and Ballon d'Or?
Rio Ferdinand was on his Rio Presents podcast earlier on Thursday when he backed Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or. On being asked by his co-presenter, he stated that the Spaniard has a good chance of winning it if the teenager helped Barcelona win the Champions League this season. His presenter asked:
"Lamine Yamal has won the Euros with Spain, he was a key player for them. He scored in the last 16, the quarters, [and] the semis. What if is the difference in Milan in the second leg? What if he's the difference in the final? Can we make a legitimate case now that he wins the Ballon d'Or?"
Ferdinand agreed, saying:
"I'm with you. If he does what you just said, I think he deserves it right. And I would say that it does, then. It shuts up a lot of people who have really driven to be motivated by stats only because there are people who scored far more goals and have impacted in terms of delivery of stats. But the game isn't just about that. The game is about the eye test as well. The game is about that feeling that a player gives you as well. And the impact that they can have on a stadium and people at home and getting bums on seats and off seats."
Raphinha and Mohamed Salah are the current favorites for the Ballon d'Or this season. Ousmane Dembele has had a good season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but has not been named by any pundits as the front-runner for the award.
