Marcus Rashford has praised new Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal as "the most talented player I've played with at his age."
Rashford made his LaLiga debut on Saturday in Barça's 3-0 win at Mallorca, being introduced as a 69th-minute substitute at Son Moix -- before Yamal, 18, scored a trademark long-range strike in added time.
Rashford -- who joined Barça on a season-long loan this summer -- has played with some gifted youngsters with Manchester United and England, but in an interview with Catalan newspaper Sport on Tuesday, he said the Spain international is on another level.
"He's the most talented player I've ever played with for his age," Rashford said. "I haven't played with, or seen, anyone with the impact he has on the game. Maybe Ronaldo Nazario... To have that influence on the pitch at such a young age and on such a consistent basis is incredible. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves."
Having only turned 18 last month, Yamal is already a star for Barça -- winning LaLiga and the Copa del Rey last season -- and the Spain national team, as part of the side that won Euro 2024.
He was listed at eighth in the 2024 Men's Ballon d'Or ranking, and Rashford said he's a contender to win the prize outright.
"Yes [he can win the Ballon d'Or], definitely," Rashford said. "If he doesn't win it this year, he will win it in the future. [Ousmane] Dembélé, Raphinha, they all deserve it. It's hard to pick one, but they're all mature and have had a fantastic season. Lamine is so young that he's sure to win it."
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Yamal scored nine goals in 35 LaLiga appearances last season, and five Champions League goals on Barça's run to the semifinals.
"He's a top talent, a top player," Rashford said. "The most surprising thing is how mature he is for his age, how he thinks and plays. He's way beyond his years. It's exciting to play with him, and with others too.
"I'm adapting to the change in environment, pace, and football, and the best place to do that is on the pitch. I'll make mistakes, but I'll also learn a lot and improve. The quality of the players helps a lot, and as I said before, for me, the easiest place to learn is on the pitch."
Barcelona play at Levante on Saturday, while rivals Real Madrid get their league campaign underway on Tuesday, hosting Osasuna.