Lionel Messi sees Lamine Yamal as a potential Ballon d'Or contender

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time in 2023, following a memorable World Cup win with Argentina in December. At 36, the Inter Miami star knows this may have been the last time he receives the award. From now on, he expects the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to win it. But he also sees Lamine Yamal as a potential candidate in the future.

“There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like Haaland, Mbappe, Vinicius and many young players competing for the Ballon d’Or. I also think that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and now plays for Barcelona, ​​will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too. There will certainly be others competing for it, new players that we do not know will appear, because there are always new players. And I think it will be a very beautiful era to enjoy,” Messi told L’Equipe.

Leo feels that this has probably been his last Ballon d’Or. Not only because he left Europe and Father Time will eventually catch up to him. But also because there’s a younger generation of players starting to make a case for themselves.

Haaland, for instance, was a strong candidate this year too. The Norwegian sensation scored an impressive 52 goals last season, helping Manchester City secure the treble (Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup). Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius may also be next on the list. But Leo is looking ahead in time as he sees Yamal’s progress at Barcelona as a promising sign.

Lamine Yamal warming up for Barcelona

Lamine Yamal’s breakthrough at Barcelona

Since Messi’s bond with Barcelona is unbreakable, he continues to follow the club. That’s why Yamal’s evolution hasn’t gone unnoticed. The La Masia product made his senior debut last season, becoming the youngest player to see first-team action in club history at 15.

The right winger continued to get playing time this season, becoming the youngest starter in LaLiga history at 16 years and 38 days old. On top of that, Lamine was called up to the senior Spanish national team. Of course, he also broke records at the international level, becoming the youngest player to score and play for Spain at 16 years and 57 days old.

Xavi Hernandez is still taking things slowly with Yamal, who is just taking his first steps as a professional player. Barca handed him his first contract in the summer, tying the winger down to a three-year deal. According to Transfermarkt, his market value is €50 million.

Barcelona looking to find the next Messi

While it may be too soon to compare the kid to Messi, many people in Barcelona already started to draw parallels between them. However, it’s always better to be careful about these comparisons. Ansu Fati was also seen as Messi’s potential successor until injuries stood in his way.

But it seems that this is something inevitable. Barcelona have never seen something like Messi before, and it’s hard to accept that he’s gone. At 36, the Rosario-born star is under contract with Inter Miami through 2025.

Never say never, but it’s hard to imagine him playing at Camp Nou again. The board had the opportunity to make that happen this year, but they blew it. Messi will return for a tribute, and he may even return in another role. But since his playing career at Barca may have ended, the club will constantly be on the lookout for the “new Messi.”