“You always think there is no way”

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has suggested that Lamine Yamal is already better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Spanish starlet has been in exceptional form for Barcelona and gave the world another reminder of his talents on Wednesday, April 30.

The Catalans were 2-0 down against Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinal first leg when Yamal stepped up. He scored a wonderful solo goal to help the LaLiga giants get back into the game and eventually secure a 3-3 draw.

The 17-year-old has already exceeded all expectations and is one of the brightest young talents in the land. Inadvertently, comparisons have been drawn with Lionel Messi, considered one of the best players in the history of the game.

However, speaking after Wednesday’s game on CBS Sports, Henry suggested that Yamal might already be better than La Pulga and his bitter rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“We can talk about a lot of guys who are supposed to be on the throne and whatnot. But one thing that amazes me about football is that you always think there is no way someone is going to be better – or might be better – than Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. Or in my time, Pele or [Diego] Maradona… And then Yamal arrives,” said Henry.

Lamine Yamal has registered 22 goals and 33 assists from 100 games for Barcelona to date. The player has entered the final 18 months of his contract, but is expected to sign a new deal once he turns 18 this summer.

How many Ballon d’Ors have Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won a total of 13 Ballon d’Ors between them to date. The two superstars of the beautiful game have dominated the coveted trophy, unlike anyone in history.

CR7 first won the trophy in 2008, following a stunning campaign with Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar moved to Real Madrid the following summer and would go on to win four more with the LaLiga champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo left Los Blancos in 2018 to join Juventus and hasn’t won the Ballon d’Or since. Lionel Messi’s first award, meanwhile, came in 2009 during his time with Barcelona.

La Pulga lifted the Ballon d’Or five more times during his stay at Camp Nou. The Argentine also won the highly acclaimed prize with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Miami, with a record eight Ballon d’Ors to his name.