Rio Ferdinand has boldly declared that Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal is currently the best footballer in the world. The “unbelievable” Yamal received widespread praise following his sensational performance in Barcelona’s 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday – a night that also marked his 100th appearance for the club at the tender age of just 17.

Hansi Flick’s side found themselves trailing 2-0 within the opening 21 minutes, but Yamal sparked a spirited comeback by curling in a sublime left-footed strike. The Spanish international, who made headlines at Euro 2024 last summer, nearly followed it up with a second just two minutes later, but Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar.

Ferran Torres pulled Barcelona level before the break, only for Denzel Dumfries to restore Inter’s lead shortly after the hour mark. The hosts responded quickly through Raphinha, whose long-range effort struck the bar and ricocheted in off the unfortunate Sommer’s back.

With the tie finely balanced heading into next Tuesday’s second leg at San Siro, the post-match discussion was dominated by one name: Lamine Yamal.

Ferdinand, who was covering the match live at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for TNT Sports, took to social media after witnessing the young star's display and made a bold assertion.

“As a pure football talent, I’m going as far as to say I think Lamine Yamal is on another level to any player currently playing in the top five leagues in world football,” the former Manchester United and England defender wrote on Instagram. “17 years old – truly unbelievable.”

Ferdinand was left in awe of the teenager’s dazzling performance, as Yamal tormented Inter’s defence throughout the match.

“This kid is taking the mick. He is taking liberties on the biggest stage,” Ferdinand continued. “Every time Barcelona look to unlock Inter’s defence, they turn to the youngest player on the pitch.”

Reflecting further, he added: “We were seated just behind where Yamal was weaving his magic and captivating the stadium. The number of times he had the ball and influenced the play – every aspect of his game was on display. It was beautiful to watch and an honour to witness in person.”

Jamie Carragher, working as a pundit for CBS Sports, likened Yamal’s performance to that of Lionel Messi at his peak.

“That was Messi-esque,” Carragher exclaimed. “It felt like watching Messi in his heyday. The entire game seemed to pause just to see what he would do next. It was simply brilliant.”

Thierry Henry also weighed in, saying: “One thing that always amazes me about football is that you think there’ll never be anyone better – or even close – to [Cristiano] Ronaldo or Messi. In my time, we had Pele, [Diego] Maradona, [Zinedine] Zidane, R9 [Ronaldo Nazário]... and then along comes Lamine Yamal. What he’s doing is simply extraordinary. It’s almost unreal.”