Rashford: “Lamine is above everyone else”

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Rashford: “Lamine is above everyone else”.

Old Trafford, 6 November 2026: Manchester United had come from behind to beat Roma in the Champions-League at home on Tuesday. Marcus Rashford was not in the squad because he was injured. A few days later, as part of a VIP offer at Old Trafford, he made his first public comments since the end of his loan spell at FC Barcelona.

This was not a conventional press event. Rashford spoke to fans who had booked a special ticket with added extras. The event took place in the Salón de Embajadores and cost £2,500. The package also included seats in a row directly behind the dugout, a five-course menu and a question-and-answer session.

The guests were given more than a view of the pitch. They could put questions personally to a player from the current squad. Rashford chose those answers himself – and used them to talk about former teammates, the Ballon d’Or and his return to Manchester United.

Why the injury delayed his appearance

Rashford missed the Roma match because of an injury, not because of a manager’s decision. The source cites his injury as the specific reason. He initially remained out due to the injury after the match, but was personally available to attendees again at the VIP meeting with fans.

The occasion was also Rashford’s first public appearance since the end of his loan spell in Barcelona. Since returning to Manchester United, he had not spoken to the press during that period. Instead, he spoke to guests who had paid for the experience.

The setting also explains why the appearance did not become a major interview. Questions were directed straight to Rashford and could therefore address personal topics. There was no need for a press conference with a broad range of questions.

For Rashford, Yamal is above everyone else

A fan’s central question was whether Rashford had discussed the Ballon d’Or with his former Barça teammate Lamine Yamal. Rashford confirmed that he had and explained that the conversation had taken place before the award ceremony, shortly before his departure from FC Barcelona.

I have played with very talented footballers, but Lamine is above that.

Rashford described Yamal’s talent as something he had never seen in any other player at that age. He also said that he had already told Yamal at the time that he was above everyone else he had previously played alongside.

Rashford was even more explicit when comparing Yamal with Messi. He had never publicly assessed Messi in this way before: for him, over the years, Yamal had come closest to Messi’s level. He explicitly described this assessment as his personal opinion.

When asked about the possibility of Yamal winning the Ballon d’Or in the long term, Rashford responded openly. He recalled that the Barça youngster had finished second and third in the respective rankings, at just 19 years old. If Yamal were to win seven Ballons d’Or, that would not surprise him, in Rashford’s view. The source does not explain how the specific rankings were determined.

Messi remains a genius for Rashford

The question about Messi concerned the Ballon d’Or and the World Cup title with Argentina. Rashford did not want to place the Argentine star in a ranking with other players. His answer was clear: Messi was Messi, a genius and an extraordinary player.

“For me, Messi is a genius, an incredible player,” Rashford said. He added that people would probably never see another player again who was such a complete genius in every respect as Leo. In doing so, he did not decide whether Messi had deserved the Ballon d’Or because of the World Cup triumph.

Rashford took a different view of Harry Kane, who did win the award. According to him, Kane had produced an exceptional number of goals and assists during the season. He therefore believed Kane had justifiably won the individual Ballon d’Or. Rashford also said that he had sent Kane a message a few days earlier to congratulate him on the result.

A positive conclusion on his return to Manchester United

Rashford also looked back positively on his return to Manchester United. After successive loan spells at Aston Villa and FC Barcelona, he explained that he was enjoying everything that was part of his time at the club. The team’s goal, he said, was to win as many trophies as possible.

In doing so, he framed his current step not as a departure from England, but as a continuation of his connection with the club. At the same time, he stressed that he was not one of the players who would leave the club regretfully. According to his account, he had given his best during his time at Manchester United.

You can find more details on Rashford’s remarks in the original report from Mundo Deportivo Fútbol. The report uses a transcript from the Manchester Evening for the contents of the conversation.