Neymar has publicly named Lamine Yamal the best player in the world, backing the Barcelona teenager to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
The Santos forward posted a statistical comparison on Instagram, setting Yamal’s sensational start to the season against his own celebrated 2017-18 campaign at Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian shared a graphic from Score90 and Sofascore ranking the best average match ratings in Europe’s top leagues since 2015-16. It carried a short caption: “Best in the world”. Yamal later reshared the post on his own Instagram account.
Yamal sits second on that list with an average rating of 8.61 after 10 matches, having scored eight goals and provided nine assists. Neymar still tops it at 8.81 from 2017-18, when he scored 25 goals and made 16 assists in 27 appearances.
Lionel Messi fills out the top five by appearing three times, with 8.52 in 2018-19, 8.40 in 2017-18 and 8.39 in 2015-16, all in La Liga. With the season barely under way, Yamal still has time to improve his numbers.
Neymar is one of Yamal’s long-standing idols, and the pair share a close bond away from football. Neymar hosted the winger and a group of his friends at his home in Brazil during the summer of 2025, a holiday that cemented their friendship.
Neymar also knows Barcelona well, having made 186 appearances for the club, scoring 105 goals and providing 76 assists on the way to winning the Champions League. His verdict on a Barcelona attacker therefore carries extra weight.
Yamal has been the driving force behind Barcelona’s flawless start, scoring eight goals and creating nine in 10 matches across all competitions, covering 851 minutes. Raphinha has been just as decisive, with 14 goals and three assists in eight appearances.
Raphinha missed the last two fixtures against Getafe and Galatasaray with thigh problems, yet Barcelona have won all 10 official matches this season, eight in LaLiga and two in the Champions League, scoring 43 goals and conceding nine.
It is a historic mark, according to statistician Mister Chip, as the Blaugrana had not opened a season with ten straight wins since 1923-24, 102 years ago. Yamal will learn his fate when the Ballon d’Or gala takes place in London on October 26.