Rodri Tips Lamine Yamal For Ballon d’Or Glory

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has backed teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to become a future Ballon d’Or winner, describing the Barcelona winger as both the present and future of Spanish football.

The reigning Ballon d’Or holder made the prediction while speaking to DAZN, where he praised the maturity, talent and remarkable development of his Spain international teammate.

Yamal has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past two seasons, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players in world football despite being only 18 years old.

Rodri, who claimed the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2024 ahead of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, believes it is only a matter of time before Yamal follows in his footsteps.

“One day he will win a Ballon d’Or because he is an animal,” Rodri said.

“He is the present and future of Spanish football.

“Players of that calibre, who are unique in the world, will always attract media attention, for better or worse. But he is very mature and very focused for someone who is only 18 years old.”

Yamal has already become a central figure for both Barcelona and Spain, dazzling fans with his creativity, dribbling ability and composure beyond his years.

Although he narrowly missed out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or award, which was won by Ousmane Dembélé, many within the football community believe the Barcelona youngster is destined to claim the sport’s highest individual honour in the coming years.

Rodri’s endorsement adds further weight to those expectations, reinforcing the belief that Yamal could become one of football’s defining stars of the next generation.