Pogba names Yamal world's top 3 player, urges football focus after Spain draw

Pogba states Lamine Yamal ranks among world's top three players, advising the 18-year-old Barcelona winger to 'just focus on playing football and not worry about anything else.' The former Manchester United midfielder shared this during an interview with El Chiringuito after Spain's 0-0 World Cup opener draw with Cape Verde on Monday.

Yamal's rise has been meteoric: he finished second in last year's Ballon d'Or behind Ousmane Dembélé and helped Barcelona clinch LaLiga. Pogba stresses that Yamal's family and agent should manage his public image while he concentrates on performance, noting 'Even if he’s not the best in the world, he is definitely top three—second or third.'

For Nigerian football fans tracking Yamal's World Cup journey, this endorsement highlights why the teenager is already considered a generational talent—and what elite players advise young stars to prioritize amid fame's pressures, especially as Spain navigates Group B competition.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/16/world-cup-2026-pogba-puts-yamal-among-top-three-worlds-best-players/