Barcelona 3-3 Inter, Champions League SF 1st Leg: Yamal Not The Best In The World, Feels Thuram

Marcus Thuram claims Lamine Yamal is not the best player in the world, ranking him behind France team-mates Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe. (Match Highlights | More Football News)

Thuram faced off against Yamal as Barcelona and Inter drew 3-3 in a Champions League classic during their semi-final first leg on Wednesday, with the Frenchman scoring the quickest-ever goal at this stage of the competition when he netted after 30 seconds.

Yamal inspired Barcelona's comeback in that match, scoring their first with a stunning solo effort to mark his 100th appearance for the club.

Yamal (17y & 291d) became the youngest ever scorer in a Champions League semi-final, a record previously held by Mbappe (18y & 140d).

He also became just the second teenager to score in the last 16, quarter-final and semi-final within a single Champions League campaign after Mbappe for Monaco in 2016-17.

Yamal's performance against Inter prompted Simone Inzaghi to say he had not "seen a player like Yamal in eight or nine years", but Thuram was not as impressed by the youngster.

"No, he's not," Thuram told Canal+ when asked if Yamal's recent performances make him the best player in the world right now.

"The best player in the world is French. And the second is also French. Ousmane and Kylian.

"Yamal is maybe third."

In all competitions, Yamal has netted 15 goals and registered 24 assists as he continues to aid Barcelona's push for a treble.

Dembele, meanwhile, is enjoying the best season of his career, and his goal on Tuesday gave Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 lead over Arsenal at the halfway point of their Champions League semi-final.

Only Robert Lewandowski (40), Harry Kane (36) and Mbappe (34) have scored more goals in Europe's big five leagues in all competitions this season than Dembele (33).

His 25 goals in 2025 are at least five more than any other player in that time.

Mbappe endured a tough start to the season but has still impressed in his debut campaign for Real Madrid, netting 34 goals in all competitions.

He has now scored the second-most goals by a Madrid player in their debut campaign for the club, and still has time to equal, or even break, Ivan Zamorano's record of 37 before the end of the season.