Former Italian manager Fabio Capello has named Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the best footballer in the world currently, tipping him to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award.

The 17-year-old attacker has been making headlines with his exceptional performances for the Catalan giants, leading Capello to snub established stars like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, PSG's Ousmane Dembele, and even Barcelona teammate Raphinha in his assessment.

Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, the former Real Madrid boss revealed his top three picks for the prestigious award, placing Yamal at the summit. "For the Ballon d'Or, I would vote Lamine Yamal. My votes would be: Vinicius, Mbappe, and first, Lamine Yamal," Capello stated.

Yamal has been drawing comparisons to football legends like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona due to his remarkable talent at such a young age. The Spanish international made history last year when he played a pivotal role in Spain's European Championship victory at just 16 years old.

The youngster's meteoric rise continued this season as he helped Barcelona reach the Champions League semifinals before they were eliminated by Inter Milan. Most recently, Yamal matched Cristiano Ronaldo's La Liga title haul by leading Barcelona to their 28th league championship with a stellar performance in a 2-0 victory over city rivals Espanyol.

That win capped a historic domestic treble for Barcelona, with Yamal contributing both a goal and an assist in the title-clinching match.

Capello's endorsement adds to the growing acclaim for the Barcelona prodigy, who continues to defy expectations despite his tender age. With Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe completing Capello's top three, the race for football's most coveted individual prize appears to be heating up.