‘Still can’t be Messi or Maradona’ – Fabio Capello puts Barcelona wonderkid in the same category as Cristiano Ronaldo | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have earned a lot of praise this season for the quality that they have shown on the pitch. Across several major competitions, the Catalan giants have showcased their mettle consistently. However, results in big games tend to attract the most attention for Barcelona.

The recent clash against Real Madrid, for example, was one such big game. For Barcelona, it was a chance to prove themselves on the big stage again, and they did not disappoint in the slightest. Managing an intense comeback, Hansi Flick’s side managed to win the La Liga encounter.

Moreover, a player who shone in particular was Lamine Yamal, yet again. The 17-year-old winger has been simply sensational this season, and he is regarded by many to be a contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or. With a performance like that, moreover, it is easy to see why.

Even Fabio Capello, a former Real Madrid manager and a man who spent a lot of time in Italy back in the day, could not help but praise the youngster. This may not be the first time that he has spoken about the young Barcelona sensation, but he was surely made to eat his own words after downplaying his ability.

Fabio Capello praises Lamine Yamal

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Capello still believes that while Yamal is an extraordinary player himself, he refrains from putting him in the same category of footballing genius as the likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona:

“Lamine Yamal is a player with a lot of quality and plenty of room to improve, but I don’t see the kind of genius that defines a phenomenon. Messi and Maradona did things no one else could even imagine, and right now, I can’t put him in their league.”

Lamine Yamal continues to shine for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Less like Messi, more like Ronaldo

He further elaborated this by referencing Cristiano Ronaldo as well, speaking about these surreal statistics but also hinting at the fact that he could not produce what the likes of Messi or Maradona could produce on the field, and saying that he also had quality over genius, just like Yamal does now:

His pick for this year’s Ballon d’Or

Interestingly, however, he does seem to think Yamal is still the best player in the world right now. In fact, as per Capello himself, he would have Yamal as his first-placed player in this year’s edition of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award:

“I would vote for Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or. My top three would be: Vinicius, Mbappé, and number one, Lamine Yamal.”

That is huge praise, especially with the season now coming to an end. Words like this can really boost a player’s campaign towards winning the award, and the young Barcelona star would not mind at all having a legendary voice in football speak as highly of him as Capello has done so.