Real Madrid veteran heaps praise on Barcelona winger – ‘He’ll mark an era’ | OneFootball

As players embark on the season’s first international break, one of the players worth keeping an eye on will be Lamine Yamal.

The Barcelona superstar has once again started the new season on a strong note and will play an important role for Spain as they take on Turkiye and Bulgaria in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Heading into these fixtures, Yamal has received wide praise from his Real Madrid adversary, Dani Carvajal.

Carvajal talks about Lamine Yamal

In a recent interview with SER (h/t SPORT), Carvajal talked about various topics, including his return to the national team after a long injury layoff.

The Real Madrid defender was also asked about Yamal, and the veteran didn’t even hesitate in heaping praise on the Barcelona sensation.

“He’ll make mistakes, like we all have. But, in the end, if you perform on the pitch, give it your all, and then have the quality he has, which is undeniable, then in the end, he could be a player who can mark an era,” he said.

Carvajal has immense respect for Lamine Yamal (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Carvajal admitted that Yamal is indeed one of the candidates for the Ballon d’Or while highlighting how difficult it is for a player of his age to make such a difference.

“He could be among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or, especially because of his youth. In the end, let’s not forget that he’s 18, and that I was at Castilla when I was 18, so it’s very difficult to make a difference at that age in professional football,” he said.

Carvajal is already familiar with Yamal’s game as the two have shared the dressing room multiple times in the Spanish national team.

Keeping that in mind, the veteran talked about Yamal’s Ballon d’Or chances, but remained coy, even admitting that he is grateful he is not going to have to vote.

“Since I’m not going to vote, I’m not going to give it to anyone because I’m not the captain, so I’m off the hook,” he concluded.

As Spain take on Bulgaria on September 4, it will be interesting to see if Carvajal and Yamal start together, especially considering the fact that the Real Madrid star has already been starting ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold this season.