"Only player ...who should've been awarded the Ballon d'Or every year" - Fabregas makes Lionel Messi claim while talking about Lamine Yamal

Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has made a claim about Lionel Messi while talking about wonderkid Lamine Yamal. At just 18 years of age, the Barcelona youngster has already established himself as one of the best players on the planet.

Following his stellar rise at such a young age, Yamal has already earned comparisons to Barcelona's greatest ever footballer, Lionel Messi. The Spaniard is considered among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or this year after leading the Blaugrana to a domestic treble.

Barca and Arsenal great Cesc Fabregas has hailed Yamal as a wonderful talent, but insisted that Lionel Messi was at a completely different level. He has claimed that the Argentine maestro deserved the Ballon d'Or each and every season, regardless of his team's performance.

Fabregas has claimed that Yamal could certainly reach Messi's level if he can continue his progress. He said, as quoted by Stadium Astro English on DailyMotion:

"The only player I've seen who should have been awarded Ballon d'Or every year was Leo [Messi]. Right now, maybe [Lamine Yamal] is not there yet but I think if he continues at this level and keeps progressing, he could also reach that level of being so, so dominant in that great trophy. Leo, win or lose, was the best but every three days, he scored two goals and made the difference."

The Como manager added:

"He was a dominant player in every aspect. From here on, Lamine is very good, very young, and he'll have to keep improving, because I understand that this will only be the beginning for him. He's [18], so imagine when he's 21 or 22 and continues on this path. The best of luck is all I can wish him."

Lionel Messi is not only Barcelona's greatest player ever, but also arguably the best player to have ever graced the game. He is the most decorated footballer of all time with 46 trophies and has also won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times.

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"They could make a Ballon d'Or only for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi" - When Sergio Ramos opened up on the duo's dominance

Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos once joked that a new Ballon d'Or award should have been introduced for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking to TUDN, the Spanish defender claimed that there should have been two separate awards for the best individual player of the season. The former Real Madrid captain said in 2019, as quoted by Marca:

"They could make a Ballon d’Or only for Cristiano and Messi. Then there could be another for the rest. In the end it'd be better for football."

Ramos' comment came just months after Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan. In that interview, Ronaldo acknowledged competition from Lionel Messi but claimed that he should have won more Ballon d'Ors than his eternal rival. He said, via Reuters:

"Messi's in the history of football. But I think I have to have six or seven or eight to be above him. I'd love it, I think I deserve it. My relationship with him is, we are not friends, but we have shared this stage for 15 years. I know that he has pushed me to be a better player and I have pushed him to be a better player as well."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated football for almost two decades and won 13 Ballon d'Ors between them. The former won the prestigious award five times, whereas Messi won it eight times.