Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford praises Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, saying he is the closest player he has seen to Lionel Messi’s level and adding that it would not surprise him if Yamal wins as many as seven Ballon d’Or awards.
Several outlets frame the comments around Yamal’s talent and Messi comparisons. They also reference Ballon d’Or totals tied to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when describing Rashford’s view of Yamal’s potential to surpass the current record marks. Yahoo Sports includes an additional detail about what Rashford told Yamal before leaving Barcelona, while other coverage focuses more directly on Rashford’s prediction and who he also supports for the current award.
Overall, the reporting largely aligns on Rashford’s central claim—Yamal is the closest to Messi and could collect multiple Ballon d’Ors—while differing in emphasis, such as including extra context from Rashford’s time at Barcelona and mentioning another Ballon d’Or name.
