'The best player in the world is French!' - Marcus Thuram risks winding up Lamine Yamal as he downplays Barcelona star's heroics vs Inter & claims TWO fellow countrymen are better than him

French forward Thuram has raised eyebrows with a bold claim that the best player in the world hails from France, subtly downplaying the rising stardom of Barcelona sensation Yamal. Speaking after the epic clash with Inter on Wednesday, which ended in a 3-3 draw, Thuram appeared unimpressed by the young winger’s standout performance, instead throwing his support behind two of his compatriots - Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe - and hailing them as superior talents.

Thuram was asked by Canal Plus after the first leg if Yamal was the best player in the world. "No," said Thuram, before adding: "The best player in the world is French, and the second is too. They are Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe. After the two of them comes Lamine Yamal."

Yamal has been on a record-breaking spree ever since making his breakthrough for Barca in the 2023-24 season aged just 15. On Wednesday, he became the youngest player in Champions League history to find the back of the net in a semi-final, breaking Mbappe's record. Recently, Lionel Messi, who is Yamal's idol, hailed the youngster as "one of the best players in the world", with other pundits, managers, and players have also acknowledged that the La Masia graduate is indeed a generational talent.

Yamal, who may now be more fired up after Thuram's comments, will feature when Barcelona visit San Siro to take on Inter in the return leg on Tuesday, May 6. Before then, it's back to league matters for Barca, who take on Valladolid away from home as they look to extend their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Inter, meanwhile, trail Napoli in the Serie A title race by just three points, with the Nerazzurri taking on Verona on May 3.