Former Barcelona forward and Ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov has shared his thoughts on the remarkable young talent Lamine Yamal, insisting that the Barcelona prodigy is destined to win football’s highest individual honour.
Stoichkov emphasised that Yamal must forge his own path to success without comparing himself to others.
“Lamine’s going to win it. When and how, he has to decide it. He has to follow his own path. He shouldn’t compare himself with anyone.
“I don’t like comparisons, and I don’t like people comparing themselves with me either. The easiest road to going further is your own road.
“Train every day, fight, work, go out on the pitch to win games, and play for the team,” Stoichkov said, highlighting the importance of discipline and focus for the young midfielder.
While Stoichkov believes in Yamal’s long-term potential, he acknowledges that this year might not be the right time for the young Barcelona star to claim the trophy.
Stoichkov has backed Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“This year, I don’t think so. After what we have seen in France and at PSG, they are there in the top three, but Dembele is the favourite to win it.”
Despite this, his preference is clear: “I hope he wins it because he is from our home and we are very excited to have another Ballon d’Or at the club.”
Advice from experience
Having experienced fame himself, Stoichkov also reassured that the young Barcelona talent should not be distracted by the attention that comes with early stardom.
“I don’t think he gets distracted, and neither does his environment. We often talk too much about his private life: who he dates, who he eats with. I also went out and nothing happened.
“The important thing is the hours of training, being with the coach and teammates. When you go out to train, you do it and you play the same.”
He concluded with a simple yet powerful message for Yamal: focus on the collective and work hard.
“Fighting, working, playing for the team, this is the easiest,” Stoichkov added.
Source: SPORT