Romario overlooked Mohamed Salah when he selected his top three footballers in the world at present.
Although it has been a considerable time since Johan Cruyff famously referred to him as the “genius of the goal area,” he continues to be regarded as one of Brazil’s all-time greats.
A World Cup champion and a two-time Copa America victor, the 59-year-old’s prime years coincided with some of Brazil’s most remarkable achievements from 1987 to 2005.
With a remarkable tally of 784 goals in 1,002 official matches, Romario ranks as the ninth-highest goalscorer in the history of football.
Now a significant political figure, his views still hold substantial influence, both within and outside the realm of football.
However, his selections for the top three footballers of the upcoming generation may surprise some. All three players are currently in La Liga, which means that not only does Salah miss out, but so do notable players like Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele, who is currently the leading candidate for the 2025 Ballon d’Or after securing the Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain.
LAMIN YAMAL
Despite not being prompted to rank his top three choices during a recent interview with ESPN, Romario appeared to take the initiative by declaring Lamine Yamal as the standout player.
“Currently, I would place Lamine Yamal at the top, as he has significantly impacted Barcelona,” he stated.
Having already participated in over 120 matches for both club and country prior to turning 18, many are now pondering whether Lionel Messi was this exceptional at the same age.
Yamal has made history as the youngest individual to debut and score for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, in addition to being the youngest player ever to compete in a European Championship.
On the international front, he not only became Spain’s youngest goalscorer but also the youngest to participate in a major tournament, having netted a goal in the semi-final as La Roja triumphed in Euro 2024.
RAPHINHA
Once the emblematic figure of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, Raphinha has effectively quieted his detractors through a blend of potency and skill, proving to be a formidable challenge for defenders in both the Spanish league and on the European stage, as the 28-year-old emerged as the top goalscorer in the Champions League last season.
It certainly raised eyebrows when Barcelona, one of the premier clubs globally, invested significantly in the Brazilian.
However, it is Hansi Flick and his team who are currently reveling in success, as Raphinha has posted remarkable statistics throughout the 2024/25 season, netting 34 goals and providing 25 assists across 57 matches.
While there may be a degree of favoritism in Romario’s endorsement of his fellow countryman, there is no denying that the winger has exceeded the lofty expectations he set for himself.
He is poised to be a key player in an even more formidable Barcelona squad next season, especially if the transfer speculations surrounding Camp Nou hold any truth.
KLIAN MBAPPÉ
The reason Romario selected Kylian Mbappe as his third and final choice was due to the fact that he is consistently a formidable player,” alluding to the challenges he has encountered over the past year.
Although the Frenchman finally achieved his long-desired transfer to Real Madrid last summer, he was subsequently excluded from the national team and faced a relentless wave of criticism for his sluggish start at the Bernabeu as he adjusted to the centre-forward position – he has once again demonstrated exceptional performance when considering his overall 2024/25 season.
Los Blancos may have experienced a relatively disappointing season, failing to secure any domestic titles against their Catalonian rivals and being eliminated early from the Champions League due to Declan Rice’s two free-kick goals for Arsenal, yet Mbappe still succeeded in netting 43 goals across 56 matches.
He earned the European Golden Shoe award, which alone attests to the fact that the World Cup champion still possesses significant potential in his quest to be recognized as the world’s best in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, even if he is no longer the youthful prodigy he once was at the age of 26.