Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has thrown his full weight behind Lamine Yamal as a deserving winner of the Ballon d'Or, pointing to the teenager's brilliant performance in the club's emphatic 5-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday.

Flick described his young winger as "special," a word that carried particular weight given the manner in which Yamal once again lit up European football's grandest club stage.

The result extended Barcelona's dominance in the competition this season and continued to cement Yamal's status as one of the game's most electrifying talents — at any age, let alone as a teenager.

Yamal has been at the heart of Barcelona's charge throughout the campaign, consistently producing moments of individual brilliance that few players anywhere in the world can match. Flick's backing reflects a growing consensus among coaches and pundits that the young Spaniard's contributions have been extraordinary.

The Ballon d'Or, awarded annually to the world's best footballer, remains one of the sport's most coveted individual honours. Flick's public endorsement adds the weight of a top European manager's voice to what is increasingly becoming a compelling case for Yamal's recognition at the highest level.