“It wouldn’t surprise me”: Former team-mate Marcus Rashford makes spectacular Ballon d’Or prediction about Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal

Marcus Rashford believes his former FC Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal can achieve great things in his career.

"Let's see what else he achieves, but if he ends up winning seven Ballons d'Or, it wouldn't surprise me," said Rashford during a Q&A with the Manchester Evening News after returning to Manchester United following his loan to the Catalans. In the vote for the best player of 2026, announced at the end of October, Lamine Yamal finished third behind winner Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid).

On Lamine Yamal's talent, Rashford said: "I have never seen a player of his age who is as talented as he is. To me, he is the one who has come closest to Messi's level over the years." After Messi's surprise departure, the Catalans spent many years searching for a successor. Rashford believes that search is likely over.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times, most recently in 2023 after winning the World Cup in Qatar with Argentina. He is ahead of his long-standing rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d'Or five times. The pair dominated the era between 2008 and 2023, when other players won the award only on rare occasions.

This season, Lamine Yamal has 13 goals and 11 assists in 15 competitive appearances for the Catalans. Barcelona did not sign Rashford permanently in the summer. They filled his position on the left wing with Karim Adeyemi, whom they signed from Borussia Dortmund.