Rashford says Yamal could win seven Ballon d’Or awards

Marcus Rashford praised Lamine Yamal’s ability and said he would not be surprised if the Barcelona forward won seven Ballon d’Or awards, according to accounts of a Manchester United supporters’ question-and-answer session. Rashford described the teenager as the player he had seen come closest to Lionel Messi’s level. The remarks were attributed to Rashford during a session at Old Trafford. Accounts place it in the Ambassadors Lounge before a Champions League match against Roma. They say he was asked about Messi and Yamal after spending the 2025-26 season on loan at Barcelona, where he trained and played alongside the young winger. The reports do not include a recording or full transcript of the exchange. Rashford was also reported to have said he had told Yamal before leaving Barcelona that he had played with many talented footballers but considered Yamal more gifted than the others. He praised the teenager’s natural talent at a young age and compared the scale of his potential with Messi’s. Rashford’s remarks were framed as an assessment of Yamal’s ability, not a claim that Yamal had matched Messi’s career achievements. The seven-award prediction would put Yamal one short of...