The legend of Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, praised Lamine Yamal, 17, saying that he was ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age. The winger captivated fans and experts with his stellar performance for Barcelona and Spain.
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The rapid rise of Lamine Yamal in football has captured fans and experts, many already qualifying him as the next large superstar. At just 17 years old, the Spanish sensation excites not only Barcelona, but also played a key role in the victory of the European UEFA Championship.
“ We have never seen anything like this before ‘: Ferdinand
Now, the legend of Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, made a daring statement, suggesting that Lamine Yamal is ahead of legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age. Messi and Ronaldo are considered the greatest footballers of the 21st century, with superhuman records.
Rio Ferdinand, a former united defender who became a football expert, did not retain his praise for Yamal. Speaking of his series Rio reactsFerdinand said that even Messi, Ronaldo or other Great Football did not show the same level of coherence as Yamal at such a young age.
“Cristiano Ronaldo did not do what the Lamine is doing at the same age. Ronaldo Nazario, Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, Owen, Zidane, Ronaldinho … None of them showed the coherence and the continuity that this young player delivers. It is a fact,” said Ferdinand.
“Most of the grown-ups started to emerge at 18. They may have played at 17, but their true brilliance came at 18 and beyond. With Yamal, we have never seen anything like it before,” he added.
Yamal stellar statistics
Yamal figures support media threshing. The winger was a huge contributor for Barcelona, recording 12 goals and 17 assists in 37 games this season only. During his brief career, he had 19 goals and 24 assists in 88 appearances for the Giants of Liga. In the 2024-25 Champions League, Yamal scored three goals and three assists in 9 games.
Yamal played a crucial role in the triumph of Spain against England at UEFA Euro 2024, further strengthening his reputation for one of the most brilliant talents in the game. He became the youngest player to win the European championship and was also appointed young tournament player. Yamal received the Kopa trophy during the joint ceremony with the Ballon d’Or 2024.
Yamal will then be seen in the action in the next Liga match in Barcelona against Atletico Madrid later in the evening. It should also perform well in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund on April 10.
