Lamine Yamal tipped to win Ballon d'Or as Lionel Messi told he could be stripped of his proudest record

Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or and even break a record held by Lionel Messi.

During the 24/25 season, Yamal managed 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona.

The young Spaniard lifted the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and the La Liga title for the Catalan club as they managed to secure a domestic treble.

As a result, the 17-year-old is one of the heavy favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award but will face strong competition from the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha and Mohamed Salah.

Currently, Frenchman Dembele is likely to be Yamal's biggest challenger for the Ballon d'Or after helping Paris Saint Germain win the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League.

Speaking about Yamal recently, former France and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has tipped the youngster to become even better than Messi while also commenting on the young forward's desire to win the Ballon d'Or.

He said to EscapistMagazine.com: "I assume that Lamine Yamal wants to be like Lionel Messi which is partly why he wants the 10 shirt. He plays on the right wing and there are some similarities, 10 is a special number for Barcelona and he will also be keen to fight for the Ballon d’Or.

"I think the Ballon d’Or is his main reason for wanting the number 10, he is 17 and he is already thinking about it, he is a tremendous footballer. I can’t name a player that has been as impressive as him at his age, every time he touches the ball something happens. You’d think he was 28 and in his prime."

Lamine Yamal is in the running to win the Ballon d'Or. Image: Getty

Petit then hinted that Messi's record breaking eight Ballon d'Or wins could even be beaten by Yamal in the future.

He continued: "He(Yamal) dribbles past players like it’s the PlayStation and he makes defenders look like cones, he has such a high ceiling, he could become even better than Messi.

"Messi won eight Ballon d’Ors, Yamal will have motivation to go even further, he’s a joy to watch."

The 2025 Ballon d'Or award will be handed out on September 22 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

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