Why Lamine Yamal is ‘ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi’ as GOATs told they were ‘nowhere near’ Barcelona wonderkid’s level at 17

Portuguese legend Ronaldo and Argentine icon Messi were teen sensations in their own right. They burst onto the scene at Sporting and Barcelona respectively, with the former staking his first claims to superstardom after linking up with Manchester United.

They now have 13 Ballons d’Or, countless records and historic hauls of major trophies between them. Standings among the sporting immortals have been secured by two all-time greats.

Yamal, though, is showing enough potential to suggest that he could at least match their efforts. He made his senior bow for Barca at 15 and is already a European Championship winner with Spain. La Liga and Champions League titles are now in his sights.

After seeing the youngster put in another eye-catching display for Barcelona in their continental semi-final clash with Inter, Ronaldo’s former United team-mate Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports: “It's just ridiculous what he's done. His ability to take people on. I think the thing that really caught my eye about him, other than the moments of brilliance, is that every part of his left foot was used in that game. He's an artist.

“At this age, he's ahead of Cristiano, he's ahead of Messi. His stats alone - he's had 100 appearances at 17! These guys were nowhere near that and he's dominating games, he's defining games.”

Ex-England international Ferdinand added: “The trophies that he's won, and he's been integral to winning those trophies for both club and country. He's on the cusp of maybe doing a treble for Barcelona and being one of the best players. At 17, we have not seen this.”

Yamal, who already has Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy triumphs to his name, may yet become a serious contender for a Ballon d’Or of his own in 2025. He is expected to land that prestigious prize at some point in the not too distant future, as he follows in the illustrious footsteps of Messi and Ronaldo.