Flick praises Yamal: He deserves the Ballon d'Or.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his young star Lamine Yamal, emphasizing that he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world, following his impressive performance in the team's 5-1 victory over Dutch side Feyenoord in their opening match of the UEFA Champions League.

Yamal contributed two assists and scored a goal from a direct free kick, bringing his total contributions in the Champions League to 21, comprising 11 goals and 10 assists. This makes him the record holder for the most goal contributions by a player under 20 in the competition's history, surpassing the previous record set by Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, the current Real Madrid player and former Paris Saint-Germain star, who had 20 contributions.

At just 19 years and 58 days old, Yamal also became the youngest player to score from a direct free kick for a team in La Liga in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing previous records held by Arda Güler and Sergio Agüero.

After the match, Flick said: "Of course, he is a player on my team and a player for Barcelona. He deserves to win the Ballon d'Or; he proves in every match that he is a unique player. No one has what he has, and I believe he deserves it."

Raphinha, the captain of Barcelona, also expressed his admiration for his young teammate, explaining that he tried to keep him focused and motivated during the match, expressing his happiness at Yamal scoring the goal the team needed.

Barcelona continued their strong start to the season, raising their tally to 22 goals in the first five matches, sending an early signal about their ability to compete seriously for the UEFA Champions League title for the first time since 2015.

Flick expressed satisfaction with the constant pressure his team applies, but he also stressed the importance of continuing to develop, noting that the season is still long and that the team is training hard, with a strong desire among all players to improve, emphasizing that this strength and intensity are essential to achieve the team's philosophy.