Spain did not need to wait until Lamine Yamal (19) came along to establish themselves as one of the dominant nations in world football. But they have capitalised on his emergence to cement that status even further. For at just 19 years of age, the FC Barcelona forward is one of those players capable of deciding the outcome of a match at will.
And whilst many observers already regard him as the best player in the world, just as many of his peers see him in the same light. Starting with AS Monaco's Denis Zakaria (29).
"Playing against Spain is always a nightmare. They deny you the ball and force you to spend your time running. And when you add stars like Lamine Yamal to that team, it makes things even more difficult. He's the best player in the world," said the Swiss player on the programme Zack en Roue Libre , recorded ahead of the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Whilst he also regards Kylian Mbappé (27) as a "star" , an "exceptional" player who is likewise among "the best players in the world" – a very select group – Zakaria does not, however, include him in his list of "players who give you so much enjoyment" .
"If I had to name two who, when I look at them, make me think, 'Ah yeah, that's ridiculous', it's Michael Olise and Yamal," he says. "Ousmane Dembélé is also an exceptional player. His season last year was incredible. He 100 per cent deserves his Ballon d'Or."
