Inter Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu blind ranks Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid duo in 5 best youngsters in world football

By Rahul Naresh

Modified Apr 22, 2025 13:56 GMT

Hakan Calhanoglu (left) and Lamine Yamal

Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu blind-ranked Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid attacker Arda Guler, and three other players. He first placed Guler in third, after which he put Bundesliga midfielder Florian Wirtz in fourth.

Once Lamine Yamal's name was taken, the Turkish midfielder put him top of the list and placed Jude Bellingham a spot below him. Desire Doue was the last name to come out and, unfortunately, had to slot in fifth.

However, Calhanoglu had the opportunity to switch two players around. He decided to swap Yamal with Doue, putting the Frenchman on top.

Doue has caught the eye of many around the world with his performances for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this campaign. He's made 45 appearances across competitions, bagging 13 goals and 12 assists.

The decision may seem slightly harsh on Yamal, who has been extraordinary for a 17-year-old. This season, he's played 46 matches in all competitions for Barcelona, bagging 14 goals and 22 assists.

His performances have helped the Catalan side to the top of the La Liga table and the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Yamal's La Liga rival, Bellingham, sits second in these rankings and has made 45 appearances this year, scoring 13 goals and bagging the same number of assists.

His Real Madrid teammate, Guler, is not a sure-shot starter, which has led to him playing 35 times, netting three goals and assisting seven. Lastly, Wirtz, who represents Bayer Leverkusen, has enjoyed another good year, bagging 15 goals and 13 assists in 41 matches in all competitions.

Ex-Real Madrid manager says Barcelona will win La Liga title this season

Former Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has tipped Barcelona to win the La Liga title this season over Los Blancos. The Blaugrana are top and four points clear of Carlo Ancelotti's side, who are second.

There isn't too much time for Real Madrid to recover, with just six games remaining in the Spanish top-flight. SPORT quoted Capello speaking about the title race this season (via Barca Universal):

“Seeing how the teams are, I think Barcelona will be the champions of the league because they are a team with a lot of offensive capacity, they score a lot of goals."

Barcelona have scored goals in abundance this campaign, having netted 88 times, 23 more than Los Blancos. Up next for Hansi Flick's side is a home game against Mallorca in the league on Tuesday, April 22.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh