Toni Kroos points out the 'abnormal' thing he's spotted in Lamine Yamal that he's never seen before

Lamine Yamal is doing things at the age of 17 that is "not normal", according to Toni Kroos, who has also sent a warning to the Barcelona forward as he look set to compete for this year's Ballon d'Or.

The teenage sensation, who was named in the most recent Champions League team of the year, is one of the heavy favourites to win the Ballon d'Or in September after a 2024/25 campaign that featured 18 goals and 21 assists at club level.

He will face strong competition from the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha following their Champions League success with Paris Saint-Germain.

But plenty believe Yamal should win the prestigious individual prize, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who was full of praise for the 17-year-old after he scored twice in their 5-4 win over France in the Nations League.

"Lamine Yamal has made a statement tonight and shown that he should win the Ballon d'Or," De la Fuente told RTVE. "He's the best player in the world and, in my opinion, of course, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."

Toni Kroos opens up on his admiration for Lamine Yamal

The former Real Madrid midfielder heaped praise on Yamal following another memorable campaign, but also warned that "success doesn’t only depend on the pitch".

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Kroos said: "I also made the Bayern first team at 17, but I wasn’t at his level, which is spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it at that age. I’m talking about the consistency of his performances, because the natural talent is obvious.

"What makes me think that this boy is special is his constant search for prominence on the pitch: in difficult moments, he always steps up, and at 17 years of age, that is not normal. He was the protagonist of two excellent seasons, the last one even spectacular."

Kroos added: "I have never seen a kid like him."

Kroos came up against Yamal at Euro 2024. Image credit: Getty

Lamine Yamal could become better than Messi, according to former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit

Petit, a former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder, believes the sky is the limit for Yamal as he commented on the teenager's desire to win the Ballon d'Or.

Speaking to Escapist Magazine, he said: "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."

Petit added: "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."

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