The Spanish newspaper believes that "if there is a player capable of competing with Messi for the Ballon d'Or, it is Lamine Yamal," adding: "The Barcelona winger is not having an exceptional tournament numerically, having not scored any goal so far, but he has once again proven that he is one of the players most capable of changing the course of matches, and he is an indispensable element in the Spanish national team's playing style, thanks to his constant impact on the opponents' defensive approach."

At the club level, Yamal had an exceptional season with Barcelona, scoring 24 goals and providing 17 assists in 45 matches, leading the Catalan team to win the La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles.

The Champions League remains the only title missing from his cabinet, but his leadership role in coach Hansi Flick's team was undoubtedly clear.

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Yamal also knows what it means to come close to the Ballon d'Or without winning it, after finishing second in the previous edition, despite not winning the Champions League and settling for the runner-up spot in the UEFA Nations League with Spain, along with winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona.

That vote proved that the impact of the 19-year-old player is not just a passing phenomenon, and that winning the World Cup could bring him back strongly to the top of the contenders, or at least guarantee him a place among the main competitors for the award.

It commented: "It remains clear that Spain winning the World Cup, with Yamal delivering a decisive final match, would give him a huge boost and could make him Messi's primary rival for the Ballon d'Or."

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