‘I think he’s earned it’… David Villa now backs €180m Barcelona star for the Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

The Ballon d’Or is a prestigious award that FC Barcelona are all too familiar with. After all, the record-winner of the award just so happens to be a club legend. However, the aspiration at Barcelona to continue to improve and develop even more of the world’s best players does not stop there.

Even now, the Catalan giants have some of the very best football players in the entire world. Some, such as Raphinha and Pedri, were outsiders that the club saw potential in, while others, like Lamine Yamal, are homegrown talents who have managed to rise to the very top.

As it stands, however, many are starting to lean towards the young €180 million-rated Spanish winger as a great pick to win the Ballon d’Or, especially with his big displays in games such as the recent El Clásico. Despite his tender age, the Barcelona youngster continues to be a beacon of hope for this team that every player can turn to and expect magic from him in any situation.

David Villa remains amazed by Lamine Yamal

Even David Villa, a former Barcelona and Spain legend, could not help but notice how his teammates were constantly looking towards Yamal to produce something while they played against Inter Milan, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo:

“I think just watching Barça play—not only what he brings when he has the ball, but also what he brings out in his teammates. The other day, he never ceases to amaze us, but in the final minutes against Inter, I got the feeling that almost all his teammates were looking for him.”

Barcelona continue to count on Lamine Yamal to produce his magic. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

He highlighted how, in various crucial moments, it was Yamal that the other Barcelona players were constantly turning to in the hopes that he could create something magical when they were in difficult situations throughout the game:

“In those crucial moments when the game was tight or they were trailing, it seemed like everyone was turning to him more than usual, knowing he could be the one to make the difference.”

David Villa further went on to praise Lamine Yamal and claimed that what he is doing at the age of 17 is something that is truly not normal and that the player should be taken care of, something that he has spoken about previously as well:

“That, at 17 years old, is just incredible at a club like Barça. With all due respect to other clubs, playing for Barça is uniquely demanding. That aura—call it what you will—is extremely rare, and he has it. What happens? He gets the ball and makes things happen.”

“I think it’s something fantastic. We all need to take care of him, support him, and be patient when he goes through tough times—because he will. He’s still just a kid. But he has incredible talent and a huge future ahead.”

Generational quality and the Ballon d’Or

Moreover, he even referred to Gerard Piqué’s statement that Yamal would not start for the golden generations of the past, and seemed to disagree slightly as he claimed that the Barcelona sensation could have made a spot for himself, but that it is always difficult to compare eras. He said:

“I think so, purely based on talent… I always say the same thing—comparing different eras never really makes complete sense. You can think ‘he would have played’ or ‘he wouldn’t have.’ I heard Piqué say the other day that maybe they wouldn’t have let him debut with our generation.”

However, as the icing on the cake, Villa did state that he believes that Lamine Yamal has earned his place as a Ballon d’Or winner this season, but that time will tell if the Barcelona star ends up winning the award:

“We’ll see, I think he’s earned it. There’s still a lot of season left, and to be honest, I’ve never been a big believer in that award. But he’ll win it one day—no doubt.”

With three more games left in the La Liga season, however, Hansi Flick’s team will not be looking to slow down. The coach has already stated that he does not feel like a champion just yet, and that his Barcelona team will be aiming to get that final victory that confirms the league title for them as soon as possible.