10 Jul 2026 20:37:10
Lamine Yamal. Just turned 18. It is hard to think of a player that good at that age.
Ronaldo, Brazilian one, but not sure where he was at 16 when he was already winning a trophy with Spain.
10 Jul 2026 20:59:22
He's 19 on Monday, but, damn, he is really special. Only off-pitch stuff or a serious injury will ruin his career.
10 Jul 2026 21:04:02
Pele was better.
10 Jul 2026 21:12:09
Ronaldo Phenomeno was 16 and part of Brazil's 1994 WC-winning squad. Yamal is supremely talented, but let's be honest, there is no comparison between them. R9 was a freak. That season at Barca was just incredible.
10 Jul 2026 21:18:23
WDW, as records go, Pele's is still the best. 3 World Cup wins. Would it have been 4 if he did not get kicked out of the 66 World Cup by Portugal, I think. Would have been like taking Charlton out of the England team.
But I can't fully comment on Pele, because I was only born in 75, so I would think, before I got into football, Pele was finished.
10 Jul 2026 21:47:14
As much as I disliked him for forcing Fowler out, Owen, before he tore his hamstring (I think) at 19, was pretty ridiculous. He was still quick after the injury, but didn't quite have the same agility to tie a defender in knots before explosively heading off in a different direction.
10 Jul 2026 22:01:24
Yas can all wax lyrical about Yamal, but blimey, Rodri was brilliant... I can see how City suffered when he was injured...
10 Jul 2026 23:05:06
@Grino, I was born in 1958 and in World Cup terms I go back as far as 1966: so I did see him.
The best national team I have ever seen was Brazil in the 1970 World Cup (coincidentally the same venue as now) and Pele was head and shoulders above everybody in the Brazil team and in the tournament.
Sublime footballer and a natural athlete. I read somewhere that he had the talent to be a top middle distance runner but preferred footy.
10 Jul 2026 23:38:13
Mbappe was better at the same age.
11 Jul 2026 05:52:45
Maradona and R9 were the best young talents ever.
11 Jul 2026 06:50:16
Out of curiosity, how old are you, @Jari?
11 Jul 2026 09:06:09
Brazil's 4th goal in 1970 final is a joy to watch. Before my time, but I love watching that goal back. Just pure football on the biggest stage.
11 Jul 2026 09:45:53
At 17, R9 had scored 30 goals for Cruzeiro. At 19, he was signed by Barca for a world record fee.
At 17, Pele was running rings around the whole world at the 1958 WC, the stuff of legends till this day.
Yamal will do very, very well to even match what these gods of football have achieved, career-wise, imo.
11 Jul 2026 11:58:03
Mid 50's, @ West Derby Wanderer.