Winger backs new teammate as “definitely” capable of winning the Ballon d’Or
Marcus Rashford is excited to play with “top talent” Lamine Yamal after making his debut for Barcelona at the weekend, the Manchester United loanee has said.
Rashford made his debut in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Mallorca after joining the Spanish champions on a season-long loan earlier this summer. He came on midway through the second half when it was 2-0, before Yamal sealed the victory in stoppage time with a trademark curl into the top corner from outside the area.
“He’s a top talent, a top player,” Rashford told Sport. “The most surprising thing is how mature he is for his age, how he thinks and plays. He’s way beyond his years. It’s exciting to play with him, and with others too.”
Rashford hailed the 18-year-old’s consistency at such a young age and compared his influence to that of Ronaldo Nazario.
“He’s the most talented player I’ve ever played with for his age,” said Rashford. “To have that influence on the pitch at such a young age and on such a consistent basis is incredible. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves.”
Yamal has already established himself as one of Barcelona’s key players. Last season he scored 18 goals and assisted 25 in all competitions. In La Liga, he topped the assists chart with 15.
He was also a key part of the Spain squad that won the Euro 2024 last summer and were runners-up to the Uefa Nations League earlier in this one. His performances have earned him a place on the Ballon d’Or 30-man shortlist released earlier this month.
Rashford backed his new teammate as “definitely” capable of winning football’s ultimate individual prize, and if not this year, then in future.
Rashford said: “[Ousmane] Dembele, Raphinha, they all deserve it. It’s hard to pick one, but they’re all mature and have had a fantastic season. Lamine is so young that he’s sure to win it.”
Regarding himself, the first Englishman to play for Barcelona in 40 years said he was adapting quite well to the Spanish game.
“I’m adapting to the change in environment, pace and football, and the best place to do that is on the pitch,” said Rashford.
“I’ll make mistakes, but I’ll also learn a lot and improve. The quality of the players helps a lot, and as I said before, for me, the easiest place to learn is on the pitch.”
