‘Lamine is the best player in the world’ – Alex Baena backs Yamal for Ballon d’Or and makes Messi comparison

Baena’s admiration stems from watching the youngster’s rare ability up close during Spain training camps over the summer. Comparing the 19-year-old’s magic to that of the Argentine legend, Baena added: “Honestly, I watched him a lot in training this summer, and he does things you don’t see any other fellow professional do.

“He’s one of the few players where I watch games solely to see him. That only ever happened to me with Messi, where I would watch matches just to see him play. And it’s the same for me with him; I watch Barca because of him and a couple of others, but if he isn’t playing, it’s very hard for me to tune in.”