Marcus Rashford tips Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal for Ballon d'Or glory - 'Most talented player I've ever seen'
By Will Conroy
Updated 19/08/2025 at 21:38 GMT+1
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Marcus Rashford has backed his Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or during his career, comparing the teenager to former Brazil striker Ronaldo. Despite Ousmane Dembele being widely tipped for the prestigious award this time around, Rashford has been impressed by Yamal since arriving from Manchester United and is confident the 18-year-old will win the prize in the future.
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Marcus Rashford is confident Lamine Yamal "will win the Ballon d’Or in the future" if he misses out this year, labelling the 18-year-old the "most talented player I’ve ever seen" for someone of his age.
Yamal is among the favourites for the prestigious individual award after a sensational season with Barcelona, winning the domestic treble while contributing 43 goal involvements across all competitions.
However, Ousmane Dembele is widely tipped as the leading nominee after Paris Saint-Germain ended their wait for a UEFA Champions League title following a clean sweep of domestic honours.
But with Yamal having only turned 18 in July, Rashford has full belief his new Barcelona team-mate will taste Ballon d’Or glory during his career.
"If he doesn't win it this year, another year he will win," Rashford told Spanish outlet SPORT.
"I think him, Dembele, Raphinha, they all deserve it. It's really difficult to pick one, but for me, I think they are all mature people, and they understand the three of them have had a fantastic season.
"But for Lamine, he is so young that he is going to win for sure in the future."
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The winner of this year’s award will be announced on September 22 at a ceremony in Paris.
Yamal kicked off the new La Liga campaign on the weekend with a goal and an assist in Barcelona’s 3-0 win away at Mallorca.
The victory also saw Rashford make his competitive debut for the club following his loan move from Manchester United.
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The 27-year-old has been wowed by Yamal's talent since arriving in Catalonia, but has found his footballing intelligence the most surprising aspect of his game.
"He's a top talent, a top player," Rashford said. "The thing that’s most surprising is he’s very mature in the way he plays football and thinks about football. He is way beyond his age.
"It's definitely exciting to play with him and a lot of other players as well."
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He added: "For his age, he’s the most talented player, not only that I've ever played with but that I’ve seen.
"I don’t think I’ve watched a player with this type of impact. Maybe Ronaldo [Nazario], 'The Phenomenon'.
"To have that impact at a young age so consistently is unbelievable. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves."
Despite showing attributes beyond his years on the pitch, Rashford admitted it is not always the case off the pitch.
"As a person, he is an 18-year-old boy," the England winger said. "He is always having fun, always laughing, he likes to play pranks with the other players.
"But this is refreshing to be in a dressing room with so many young players. It reminds me of when I was his age."
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