Cristiano Ronaldo tips Barcelona crown jewel as a future Ballon d’Or winner | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent interview with Rio Ferdinand has raised many eyebrows, as the Real Madrid legend talked about his old club, teammates and the ongoing footballing scene in Europe.

The forward notably backed Kylian Mbappe to succeed at Real Madrid while also hailing him as a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or in the years to come.

What was particularly interesting, however, was that Ronaldo did not only limit himself to Real Madrid players, when predicting potential Ballon d’Or candidates.

Ronaldo hails Yamal as Ballon d’Or candidate

In fact, Ronaldo predicted Barcelona’s very own Lamine Yamal to potentially become a Ballon d’Or contender in the years to come.

“Kylian Mbappé can win the Ballon d’Or for the next few years, probably Haaland, Bellingham,” Ronaldo initially said.

But when Rio interjected by saying Vinicius Jr., Ronaldo added, “Also Lamine Yamal.”

One for the future (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Ronaldo’s high praises for Yamal serve as a testament to the 17-year-old already impressive legacy at Barcelona so far.

Yamal has indeed emerged as the face of the Barcelona team and his consistent performances in both league and international football have only done justice to that tag.

As time progresses, one can expect Yamal to further establish himself as one of the best players in the world.

Yamal has already become the youngest-ever player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or this year and Ronaldo will surely not be the only personality to expect him to win the award in the years to come.

For the time being, though, Yamal must focus on his short-term goals at Barcelona while the club itself must ensure the young forward does not get too carried away.

Maintaining Yamal’s fitness levels and making sure he avoids injuries could also be a key objective for Barcelona, as they look to nurture the young Spaniard into one of the best players in the world.