'Best to speak on the pitch' - Lamine Yamal makes Ballon d'Or statement after inspiring Spain to thrilling UEFA Nations League victory over Ousmane Dembele & France

The 17-year-old wonderkid made a decisive contribution in that contest as he bagged a brace and ultimately helped European champions Spain to prevail 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller on German soil.

Said fixture saw Barcelona winger Yamal come up against Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. It was the reigning Golden Boy that made the biggest impact in another crunch clash, as he put down another Golden Ball marker.

Yamal, who is considered to be battling with Dembele for the right to be named the best player on the planet, told RTVE afterwards of letting his football do the talking: "I always say the same thing to mum, that I try to give my all. That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It's always best to speak on the pitch. Dembele's a great player, we saw that in the Champions League, but I am happy that we're the ones in the final."

Yamal had claimed in the build up to an epic meeting with France that his battle with Dembele would provide an intriguing subplot to a game that has seen Spain move a step closer to defending their Nations League title.

The youngster added on playing his part in keeping La Roja on course for more major silverware - with Luis de la Fuente’s side finding themselves hanging on towards the end after leading 4-0 and 5-1: "France are a great side with world class players, it's normal that they force you to suffer in moments. They have players that keep going and push you until the end. But we are really happy to win the game."

Yamal, who has agreed a lucrative new contract with Barcelona that can be signed when he turns 18 in July, is now readying himself for a meeting with Portugal and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in the Nations League final on Sunday.