The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony finally ended the long reign of the renowned Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly. Before Rodri’s victory, only three players had managed to grab football’s most prized individual accolade from the renowned duo since 2008. However, with both now operating outside of Europe, it appears that the golden period has come to an end, and a new chapter has begun.
With the stage wide open, predicting this year’s winner feels like reading tea leaves. Without the two typical suspects dominating the discourse, the football world is hoping – almost pleading – for a new star to emerge and fill the hole. Raphinha, Mohamed Salah, and Champions League winner Ousmane Dembele are among the early favorites for the crown.
However, as the October gala approaches, it appears that the adolescent sensation Lamine Yamal – only 17 – is best positioned to dominate the game for the next decade or more, regardless of whether he wins the golden ball this year. And, in retrospect, Ronaldo’s words on the youngster at the start of the season have aged quite nicely, as they prepare to face each other in the Nations League final on Sunday.
What Ronaldo Said About Yamal At Start of 2024/25 Season
He seems to have spoken the Spaniard’s impending reign into existence
Even though his 40th birthday has passed, Ronaldo understands what it takes to be the world’s finest. During his tenure at Manchester United and Real Madrid, he earned five Ballon d’Or trophies, five Champions League titles, and was instrumental in Portugal’s Euro 2016 success. At the start of the 2024/25 season, he shifted the focus away from himself by predicting that Yamal would be the next great footballer.
“He’s got a huge potential,” Ronaldo said of Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel eight months ago. I see a lot of talent. But let’s see what happens on his voyage. More importantly, he added (see the entire interview below):
“But I believe he will make it. “He will be the best player in this new generation.”
Hansi Flick, Yamal’s manager, says there is only one greater player in world football right now, and many observers have questioned if Lionel Messi was ever as talented as Yamal was in his teens. But it was his age that Ronaldo wanted to exhibit some cautious optimism about.
“He needs luck because he is very young,” Ronaldo continued. “I hope he has no problems [with injuries]. He is in an extremely advantageous situation. Spain’s national squad is quite good.”
Lamine Yamal Is Already One of the World’s Best
Ronaldo’s predictions are coming true much sooner than everyone expected
Yamal became the youngest scorer in LaLiga history during his breakout season, at the age of 16, and the youngest player ever to compete in a European Championship the following summer. He won the Young Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024 after assisting Spain to a record-breaking fourth title with a goal and four assists during the continent’s premier event.
However, in his second season, he has reached even dizzying heights, and there is legitimate reason to believe he is already one of the top players in the beautiful game right now, despite Ronaldo’s caution due to his age. In 55 appearances across all competitions in the 2024/25 season, the youthful Spaniard has scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists, winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey before missing out on the Champions League final due to a loss to Inter Milan.
During his most recent appearance, a spectacular 5-4 victory over France in the Nations League semi-final, he scored twice and was named Man of the Match, indicating that his reign of terror isn’t restricted to lower league opposition, as he prepares for another final against Ronaldo’s Portugal. Watch his highlights below.
Yamal isn’t simply establishing his greatness through statistics, as evidenced by the highlights compilation above; his talent is obvious. He dribbles past opponents with ease, much like Lionel Messi.
Even more impressive is how quickly his decision-making skills are developing. It’s truly frightening to consider how brilliant he could be once he reaches his peak, which could be six or seven years away. To put his youth in perspective, he will be 22 in 2029 and so still eligible for the Golden Boy award.
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