Lionel Messi voted for Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal as his first choice for 2024 FIFA The Best Men’s Player award, which has been won by Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior.
The 17-year-old Yamal had been in exceptional form for club and country last season. He was key to Spain’s triumph in the 2024 Euros and scored a crucial goal in the semi-final against France. He also recorded four assists in the competition and was named the tournament’s best young player. While Yamal did not win accolades with Barcelona last season, he recorded seven goals and nine assists in 50 outings across competitions.
According to FIFA’s official document featuring the votes, Lionel Messi ranked Lamine Yamal first among his top three picks for the FIFA The Best Men’s Player award. The Argentina captain put Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in second and third positions respectively.
Lionel Messi has been named the Best Men’s Player in the FIFA The Best Awards thrice in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
For those uninformed, FIFA The Best Awards are determined by an equally weighted voting system including the votes of captains of men’s and women’s teams, fans, coaches, and media representatives.
“He has a huge future ahead” – When Lionel Messi named Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as the player who reminds him of his early days
In an Adidas-sponsored event in December 2024, a fan asked Lionel Messi to name a current-generation footballer who reminds him of his early days. The Argentine legend did not hesitate before naming Lamine Yamal and said (via Managing Barca on X):
“The new generation of young players is very good and has many years ahead of them. Well, I heard about Lamine Yamal, without a doubt. It depends on him, and also other things, to be consistent. But he is already part of the present and, without a doubt, he has a huge future ahead of him.”
Much like Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal rose to prominence from the ranks of Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia. The Spaniard made his senior team debut in April 2023 in a LaLiga match against Real Betis.
The Barcelona star is often compared to Messi for his exceptional dribbling skills and impressive ball control. He is also a right-winger, which is a position La Pulga has often mastered. In 72 outings for Barcelona, Yamal contributed 13 goals and 21 assists across competitions.