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Lamine Yamal Poised to Inherit Messi's Mantle at Barcelona
7 Aug
Summary
- Messi deserved more Ballon d'Or wins than he received
- Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's latest prodigy, set to inherit Messi's iconic No. 10 jersey
- Ousmane Dembele favored for 2025 Ballon d'Or despite Yamal's superior performance
According to the article, if the Ballon d'Or voting process were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of the eight he currently holds. The Barcelona legend was the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric on several occasions due to their teams' success in the Champions League.
Now, Barcelona's latest prodigy, Lamine Yamal, has inherited Messi's iconic No. 10 jersey. However, the 18-year-old may have to watch Ousmane Dembele lift the 2025 Golden Ball, as the France winger is the overwhelming favorite for the award after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the treble. The article suggests that, like Messi before him, Yamal is the purists' champion and deserves to be at the top of the podium.
The article also highlights the generational rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, noting that while the two superstars were close in terms of goal output, Messi was always the superior player. The only player who can claim to have beaten Messi to the Ballon d'Or while eclipsing him on individual performance is Karim Benzema, who enjoyed a stellar 2021-22 season for Real Madrid.
