"It’s a fact" - Rio Ferdinand explains why Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has explained why Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal is ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferdinand reckons Yamal has shown more consistency and continuity at a younger age than the aforementioned superstars.
Messi and Ronaldo have established themselves as the two greatest players of this generation since making their professional debuts nearly two decades ago. Ronaldo went on to make a name for himself when he joined Manchester United at the age of 18 in 2003, whereas Messi hit the ground running at Barcelona at 17 in 2004.
However, neither icon arguably had a better start to their careers compared to Lamine Yamal. The Spaniard made his senior debut for Barcelona in April 2023, at the age of 15 years, nine months, and 16 days old. Since then, the 17-year-old has dazzled with his ability down the right wing, winning the 2022-23 LaLiga title with Barcelona, as well as Euro 2024 with Spain.
During a segment on his show Rio Reacts, Ferdinand claimed Yamal has been more consistent than Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and other legends including Neymar, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo Nazario. He said (via Bolavip):
"Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t doing what Lamine is doing at the same age. Ronaldo Nazário, Messi, Neymar, Mbappé, Owen, Zidane, Ronaldinho… none of them have shown the consistency and continuity this young player delivers. It’s a fact."
He added:
"With Yamal, we’ve never seen anything like this before. Most of the greats started emerging at 18. They may have played at 17, but their real brilliance came at 18 and beyond."
Yamal has made 88 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona to date, scoring 19 goals and providing 24 assists.
"Everyone wants to go to Saudi" - Jermain Defoe on what makes Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Pro League more appealing than Lionel Messi and the MLS
Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Jermain Defoe reckons the lucrative contracts offered by the Saudi Pro League make it a more appealing product for players to join than the MLS.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shocked the footballing community in 2023 when both superstars departed Europe for the SPL and MLS, respectively. Since then, numerous big names have joined both leagues, raising the level and reputation of both competitions.
However, Saudi clubs have notably offered much higher salaries in comparison. Defoe used Al-Ahli's Ivan Toney as an example, telling GOAL:
"At the minute everyone wants to go to Saudi, don’t they? But that was the idea, if they can get the main man to America, the great Messi, hopefully that would attract the other big names – [Luis] Suarez and all the others that have followed. But, the Saudi one now – it’s Messi in America and Cristiano in Saudi Arabia. Not only Cristiano in Saudi, but the money that players can earn over there for themselves and their families.
He added:
"It’s difficult to turn it down. Even younger players are willing to go. We saw that with Ivan Toney. There was a lot of noise around that because people were saying, ‘He was in the Euros squad with England, in and amongst the forwards with England, doing well for Brentford, why did he go to Saudi, he’s only 28?'
"I feel like you have to be in that situation to understand and realise that as footballers it’s a short career. It’s not just about you, it’s about your family and extended family."
Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns a reported annual wage of $209.4 million at Al-Nassr, whereas Lionel Messi earns a guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million annually at Inter Miami.
