Left: REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Right: REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Hansi Flick has overlooked Lamine Yamal and the rest of his Barcelona players when naming the best footballer in the world right now.
Yamal, 19, is the leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award after winning this summer’s World Cup with Spain.
The teenage prodigy, who made his senior Barcelona debut in April 2023 aged 15 years and 291 days, also won his third La Liga title last term.
However, Yamal wasn’t always at his brilliant best during the 2026 World Cup, largely due to the fact he was recovering from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the final weeks of the 2025-26 campaign. It was his teammate Rodri who received the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player.
Rodri fended off competition from Argentina great Lionel Messi, who announced his international retirement earlier this week, and France’s Kylian Mbappe, who scored 10 goals to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with a total of 22 goals.
Other players currently in the conversation for the title of world’s best player include England duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, Paris Saint-Germain stars Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is another contender after winning the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award. The Portugal midfielder celebrated winning that coveted individual accolade with a hat-trick against Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Flick Chooses Best Player in World
REUTERS/Bruna Casas
However, Barcelona boss Flick believes it’s veteran forward Messi who remains the best in the business, despite calling time on his glittering Argentina career this week.
“Time passes for everyone and of course he is the best player in the world,” Flick told DAZN, per Mundo Deportivo. “What he has done is incredible. I enjoyed his performances at the World Cup. He was fantastic.
Tributes Pour in For Lionel Messi
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta
Tributes have poured in for Messi following his decision to leave the international stage.
A host of Argentina players have praised the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, while Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has also reacted on social media.
Messi scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for the Argentina national team between 2005-2026.
He won two Copa America titles and the Finalissima with La Albiceleste, but his crowning moment came in Qatar four years ago, inspiring his country to a first World Cup title since 1986.
Messi also dragged Argentina to the 2014 and 2026 World Cup finals but was unfortunate to miss out on both titles.