Gabriel Jesus Tips Lamine Yamal for Ballon d’Or After Barcelona Move
New Barcelona forward Jesus has backed Lamine Yamal to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, calling the teenager the outstanding player he has watched in recent seasons.
The Brazilian also sees traits of Neymar in Yamal, whose childhood idol has long been the former Barcelona star. Jesus stressed that Neymar remains in a class of his own, describing him as the most naturally gifted player he has played alongside and praising his ability with either foot.
But he believes Yamal carries comparable strengths in one-on-one situations and in his mentality. Jesus said the winger’s dribbling and confidence stand out, while his decision-making resembles that of a far more experienced player despite his age.
“He is still very young, yet he plays with the maturity of someone much older,” Jesus said of Yamal. “He keeps improving every year and becomes even more special.”
Ballon d’Or backing grows
Jesus acknowledged uncertainty over the criteria used for the individual award, questioning whether it is decided by talent, performances or trophies. Still, he made Yamal his clear choice after the Barcelona player’s trophy-laden year.
The endorsement adds to Barcelona’s push for Yamal’s Ballon d’Or case, with the club and several leading figures publicly supporting the Spanish international.
What happens next
Yamal returns to league action this weekend when Barcelona host Getafe at Camp Nou. Hansi Flick’s side have taken a perfect 21 points from their opening seven league fixtures and sit top of the table.
The winger has supplied seven goals and four assists in those seven domestic appearances. He also scored once and set up two more in Barcelona’s 5-1 Champions League victory over Feyenoord, and is set to remain central to the attack against Getafe.
