Rashford sees Messi-like talent in Yamal

Currently sidelined with an injury, Marcus Rashford has paid Lamine Yamal a glowing tribute. The forward believes the young player has exceptional talent and is the closest among those to have emerged in recent years to Lionel Messi. He went as far as to say that seven Ballon d’Or wins for Yamal would not surprise him.

Rashford connected that admiration to their time together at Barcelona. Before leaving the club, he told Yamal: “I’ve played with some very talented players, but you surpass them all.” He also said he had never seen a player of that age with comparable ability. In Rashford’s view, Yamal stands out among young players, while Messi remains an entirely singular talent.

The former FC Barcelona player, now at Manchester United, expressed equally strong admiration for the Argentine. Rashford said: “He’s an incredible player, and we probably won’t see another player with Leo’s complete genius in our lifetime.” That qualification gives perspective to his praise of Yamal: he is not calling the youngster a new Messi, but believes he is the player who has come closest to him.

Rashford’s confidence in Yamal’s future also led him to make a striking projection. He said that seven Ballon d’Or awards would not surprise him. He referred to second-, third- and eighth-place finishes, then wondered aloud about the player’s age. Those positions and that possibility help explain his admiration, but remain Rashford’s personal assessment, not a certainty about Yamal’s career.

The comments came at a meeting with Manchester United supporters in the ambassadors’ room at Old Trafford, before a match against Roma. The Spanish press reported that the remarks later circulated on social media. In the same appearance, Rashford also discussed his return to England: “If it wasn’t to play for United, I wouldn’t have wanted to come back to England.” He said he no longer wanted to face United every season and that, if the club had not been an option, he would have asked his agent to send him abroad rather than to another Premier League side.

After his spell at Aston Villa, Rashford said he had chosen to return to Manchester United. And despite his praise for Yamal and Messi, he put Harry Kane at the top of his list for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Rashford said he had messaged Kane to tell him he deserved the award, pointing to his many goals and assists. His admiration for Yamal’s potential, then, does not prevent him from making a separate judgement about who merited recognition for the season.