Marcus Rashford had no doubts when choosing between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or
Marcus Rashford has wasted no time in endearing himself to his new Barcelona teammates after completing his loan move from Manchester United.
Rashford has been frozen out at Manchester United since the end of 2024, spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa before sealing his dream switch to Barcelona this week. Barca will cover all of Rashford's wages for the season-long loan, with an option to buy him at the end of the campaign for as little as a reported £26 million.
The England winger spoke glowingly of Barcelona at his unveiling at the Nou Camp this week and will now link up with Hansi Flick's La Liga champions, who boast the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pedri in their ranks.
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It has the potential to be an exciting front line as Yamal will hope to underline his status as the most exciting young talent in world football having only just turned 18. He already has two La Liga titles and a European Championship to his name as well as a Copa Del Rey winner's medal. In his 127 senior appearances for club and country, Yamal has 31 goals and 45 assists, with his 2024/25 form seeing him among the contenders for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award.
He is said to be in a two-horse race for the 2025 award as clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City struggled in the Champions League to deny their superstars a free run at the prestigious accolade. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is currently the odds-on favourite to follow Rodri in being named Ballon d'Or winner, with Yamal said to be his closest competition.
Dembele played a key role in PSG's Champions League win and run to the Club World Cup final, whereas Yamal has the La Liga and Euros wins to support his claim.
And speaking last month on the XBuyers YouTube channel, Rashford offered his view on the Ballon d'Or debate, saying Yamal would win it easily if talent was the only factor being considered.
“It depends on how you look at it. Just off footballing ability, I think he [Yamal] has to win," Rashford said, before his Barcelona move came about. "But then if you look at Dembele in the Champions League, of course he can win. Depends how you see it. I would not be disappointed if either of them won it.”
Rashford heaped further praise on Yamal, saying he is playing at a level no other teenager has ever produced. “It is difficult to put into words because he is not supposed to be doing that at 16, 17 years old,” he said. “He is playing at the highest level at 16. I do not think we have seen this before.”
Asked whether he would like to play alongside Yamal, perhaps knowing the Barcelona move was a possibility, Rashford said at the time: “Yeah, for sure. Everybody in the world wants to play with the best, you know. So, hopefully, we will see.”
Topics: Marcus Rashford, FC Barcelona, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele
Joe Bray