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Who do you think was better at age of 17? Yamal or C.Ronaldo?
Not even a question.
Yamal miles ahead.
I was actually thinking earlier, heās highly probably the best 18 year old in the last 30 years or so. (edit: FFS he still hasnāt turned 18!)
Even R9 only got to PSV at that age (18). This guy is already a serious Ballon dāOr contender this year if he keeps up like this.
Regarding CR7, at young age, before he really exploded at 22 or so I though Rooney was actually far superior, far more complete.
Even going back to Messi, in that first year where he really broke into Barcaās starting XI, 2005/06, he was 18/19 through that season, so a year (or more) older than Yamal. He did have an absolutely incredible combination of dribbling, control and acceleration at the time, but wasnāt as complete, multidimensional and effective in the end as Yamal now.
I absolutely canāt find a better 17/18 year old in my memory.
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It is Euros for me.
Yamal was 16 for the whole tournament bar the finals which was a day after his birthday.
I donāt think either Messi or Ronaldo or Ronaldinho or R9 achieved an international trophy at this level at 16.
That said, Yamal would do well to replicate their careers. Itās one thing to do it for handful of seasons. it takes a beast level commitment & fitness luck to do what Messi & Ronaldo did.
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Yeah, of course (in Gerrardās voice).
No one can really project or predict his career, not even his closest coaches, let alone us.
Depends on a ton of factors, the first one being in his own head (his commitment, ambition etc).
Then itās the injuries, the club(s), managers etc etc.
All that said, Iām still quite baffled with his age. I alwas think Iām watching a (highly talented) 19/20 yeard old. I mean, Ethan is an elite talent and could have a brilliant career, and heās a bit older than him.
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Who the fuck has that many groomsmen?
no idea maybe he wanted this many to make a viral TikTok
Iām one of four best men for my mateās upcoming 2026 wedding. At this point, I feel itād be more appropriate to just call me a āgood manā, I donāt feel like the ābestā sharing it with three other guys
To think I felt a bit anxious about whether having two best men was a bit self-indulgent a few years ago 
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Yamal, easily. I believe Ronaldo was still at Sporting when he was 17.
Neymar
Him and Mbappe have the best case to rival Yamal at 17. Would still take Yamal over them though.
R9 was 17 when he went to PSV and had just gone to the WC with Brazil (where he didnāt play). But the numbers R9 put up in Brazil and the things he was doing, he clears Yamal at that age.
Different era of football but if you took that 17 year old R9 and put him in this Barcelona team heād be pulling up numbers way beyond the 6 or 7 goals Yamal has this season in the league.
On R9, I only learnt what he did pre-Barca retrospectively so canāt really make a case for him myself.
Other players I can think of from watching them, Rooney should have a case too, right?
Ronaldo turned 18 in sempember of 1994, so at the start of his first season a PSV. He was only technically 17 when signing for them.
Yeah, he obviously had a brilliant first season right away, while being impressive in Brazil before, but Yamal is doing this stuff in La Liga, Champions League, the Euroāsā¦
You can only imagine what Ronaldo would be doing at Barca at 17, but he was still only in Brazil at the time, only maganed to be a part of the Brazil WC winning squad in 1994 (didnāt have an appearance) before arriwing to PSV. Yamal was one of Spainās best players while winning the Euroās dominantly, while being 16, or just barely 17 at the time.
Rooney, R9, Messi are the three standout teenage talents in my lifetime..
Until Yamal arrived obviously.
Maradona was a prodigy too. Uproar when he didnāt make it to the 78 World Cup at 17ā¦
I would absolutely put Mbappe there too.
What he was doing with Monaco in that 2016/17 season went mainly overlooked because how fast and suddenly he exploded in the middle of the season, but for me he was already a world class player at the time. Many still had doubts about him and only recognised him as a WC player a year later, after he won the WC, but he only got slightly better by then.
He was already WC striker in that Monaco CL run. A clinical finisher already (Iāve never seen such a good finisher at that age before), a menace one on one, top link up already, etc. Already a complete packade as a forwad then. Being 18 at the time.
Thinking now, imagine he had this PSG around him in those 5 years he wasted there.
Imagine he played in this Dembele role, in this Enrique setupā¦ 50 league goals a year. No matter the career he already had and is having, so much potential and ability already got wasted.
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Forgot about him lol I knew there was an obvious one I was forgetting
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R9 at 17 still the better talent regardless of where he was plying his trade. His combination of speed, power, dribbling, shooting, passing and decisiveness with the ball is something I donāt think weāve ever seen in the game.
Shout out to young Mickey Owen too, Balon dāOr at 21 was it?
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R9
Messi
Mbappe
Owen
Rooney
Neymar
Gonna avoid naming Pele and Maradona and anyone else from 50s through to 70s.
Any other prodigies we can add to that list?