Abelardo criticises Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or claims and invokes Lionel Messi

Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Abelardo Fernandez has criticised Lamine Yamal for publicly saying he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.

Abelardo said the Barcelona forward’s comments did not create a positive impression, despite the high level of performances he has produced for the Catalan club.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Abelardo was speaking on the programme Radio Estadio Noche when he discussed remarks Yamal made to Movistar Plus+. The young Spain international said he considered himself among the best players in the world and believed he merited the prestigious individual award.

“I think I deserve the Ballon d’Or this year because of what I have won,” Yamal said.

He also said he viewed himself and France forward Kylian Mbappe as the two best players in the world, adding that his achievements over the course of the year justified his belief that he should receive the prize.

Abelardo argued that Yamal should have kept those thoughts private rather than stating them directly.

“You can think it, but you cannot say it. I do not think so, because it makes you look bad,” he said.

The former Barcelona player suggested Yamal could have expressed his ambition in more cautious terms, without claiming outright that he should win the award.

“You can think it and say: ‘I could be among the leading candidates’, but you never know who these awards will go to,” Abelardo added.

He said that wording would have presented Yamal in a better light, while making clear that he respected the player’s ambitions.

“I did not like what Lamine said,” added Abelardo, who won 54 caps for Spain.

He then compared Yamal’s comments with the public conduct of Argentine great Lionel Messi, whom he described as “the god of football”.

“I never heard Messi, who was the god of football, say that,” Abelardo said.