"He will win it one day, for sure" - David Villa backs Barcelona superstar to win the Ballon d'Or in the future
David Villa has backed Barcelona star Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or. The former player said he never cared about individual awards, but believes the teenager will win the France Football award someday.
Speaking at a public appearance, Villa said Yamal had done well this season and added that the 17-year-old was among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or this year. He said (via Barva Universal):
"We'll see, I think he has done well. There's still a few weeks left in the season and you know it's an award that I've never really believed in them. He will win it one day, for sure."
Villa went on to heap praise on Yamal for handling the pressure at Barcelona despite being just 17. He added that the people around the teenager should help him whenever he enters a bad spell. He said:
"That at 17 years of age is a real shocking thing to do in a club like Barça. With respect to other clubs, it's difficult to play for Barça. That aura, or call it what you will, is very difficult to spot, and he transmits it."
"I think it's something fantastic, I think we all have to look after him, help him, wait for him when he has bad moments because he will have them, because he's still a kid. He has a talent ahead of him and a brutal future," Villa concluded.
Lamine Yamal is among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or this year. He is battling with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and teammate Raphinha for the award, while a few have also listed Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain) among the favorites.
David Villa amazed by Ballon d'Or worthy Lamine Yamal of Barcelona
In the same interview, David Villa said he was surprised at how Lamie Yamal handles himself on the pitch. The former player added that other Barcelona players had also started trusting him, which was evident during their loss to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semifinals (Inter won 7-6 on aggregate).
Villa said:
"I think just watching Barça play, not only what he gives off when he has the ball but what other teammates give off. The other day, he is never going to stop surprising us, but the last few minutes against Inter gave me the feeling that practically all the teammates were looking for him."
"Like the last few minutes when you needed to solve the game because you were behind on the scoreboard or level on the scoreboard, it seemed that Barça's players were looking for him more than normal, knowing that he could solve the game."
Rio Ferdinand had also touted Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or this year. However, he was backing the Spaniard on the condition that Barcelona would win the Champions League.
