Yamal says Messi deserved World Cup Golden Ball over Rodri

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has made his admiration for Lionel Messi unmistakably clear, suggesting the Argentine legend, rather than his own teammate Rodri, was truly the best player at this year's World Cup.

Speaking to Jorge Valdano in an extensive interview for Universo Valdano, Yamal reflected on Messi's remarkable performances throughout the tournament, praising the veteran forward's continued brilliance at the age of 39.

"For me, he was the best player of the World Cup for everything he is and everything he generated. Nobody expected that a player at Leo's age, even if it was Leo, could do things at that level," Yamal said.

Messi's numbers throughout the tournament certainly supported that assessment, with the Argentine scoring eight goals and providing two assists in a dramatic semi final win over England, ultimately guiding his side all the way to the final.

Rodri, meanwhile, was awarded FIFA's Golden Ball as the tournament's outstanding player after Spain lifted the trophy by beating Argentina in the final, a decision that sparked debate among fans and pundits throughout the competition.

Yamal stopped short of criticising Rodri or FIFA's official decision directly, but by naming Messi as the true standout performer, he made his own view on the matter fairly difficult to misinterpret.

The Barcelona forward has also addressed the wider Ballon d'Or conversation separately, speaking to Spanish outlet AS about his ongoing rivalry with Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe for football's most prestigious individual honour.

"I would give it to the best player in the world. As for who they will give it to, that is a very long debate. I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world," Yamal said.

He was equally direct when comparing himself to Mbappe specifically, insisting their head to head record spoke for itself regardless of the Frenchman's goal scoring exploits throughout the season.

"Mbappe and I are the best in the world, and everyone who watches the matches knows that. We have head to head encounters and I have beaten him in everything. He has scored a lot of goals, and that is why he won the Pichichi award," he said.

Yamal also rejected any suggestion that winning the World Cup should automatically hand him or Mbappe an advantage in the race for the Ballon d'Or, arguing individual quality mattered more than any single tournament outcome.

"I don't see that as correct either, because I don't believe a single competition gives you the award. But the coincidence is that I play for the national team that won the World Cup. And if England had won the World Cup, I would still say that Mbappe and I are the best in the world right now," he said.

Reflecting on his own rapid rise to the top of world football, Yamal drew comparisons with previous generational talents while insisting his own journey still had considerably further to run.

"There have been great stars like Messi or Ronaldo, but I don't think such brilliance at a young age has ever been seen in the recent period. People think I will relax simply because I have won, but I still have many things ahead of me to achieve in the history of football," he said.

Despite lifting the World Cup with Spain, Yamal admitted he had come away from the tournament feeling far from satisfied with his own individual contribution, describing a lingering sense that he could have offered more.

"I didn't come out happy after winning the World Cup. The injury thing is true, but it has nothing to do with it. If the World Cup happened again at another point, I'd feel the same way, even without the injury," he told Valdano.

He elaborated further on the specific source of that dissatisfaction, pointing to aspects of his performance that went unnoticed publicly despite their tactical importance to Spain's overall approach throughout the tournament.

"I did a lot of things people didn't see. For the coach, it's incredible to have a player who drags three defenders with him, but based on my performance, I know I could have done more," he said.