Forget Rodri and Vinícius and all that Ballon d'Or "brawling" -- let's say goodbye to 2024 by admitting, unequivocally, that it has been the year of Lamine Yamal . In footballing terms, the boy is a genius. Fact.
He's blessed with sublime skills, physical maturity beyond his years and, above all, by supernatural on-pitch vision and match intelligence. I have zero quibbles with the Spaniard and the Brazilian consistently coming first and second across planet football's great annual awards (Ballon D'Or, FIFA Best) this year. They are older, more streetwise, have more trophies, and have spent longer earning the accolades.
But the first thing to point out about Yamal's Mozart-like talent is how much exquisite joy and admiration he brings to anybody who loves the greatest sport ever invented. By which I mean that whether you are a Barcelona fan or you detest the sight of their Blaugrana jerseys, Lamine does things that'll make you gasp, yell and swoon. Oh, how we need more like him across professional soccer in the coming year! How much we also need kids, girls and boys, to be inspired by him to try and emulate him.
Editor's Picks Soccer's best of 2024: Players of the year, best goal, games, more 5d Luis Miguel Echegaray What's gone wrong for Pep Guardiola and Man City after 499 games together 2d Bill Connelly Golden Boy, Girl 2025: Projecting Yamal, López successor 14d Sam Tighe and Emily Keogh While the elite levels of our beloved game become more about automaton-like play a.
