Barcelona forward Gabriel Jesus said in an interview with EFE that Lamine Yamal possesses some characteristics of Neymar. He praised his young teammate's maturity and talent, viewing him as the top favorite for the Ballon d'Or.

On Neymar and Yamal

Jesus said: "Neymar is one of the most talented players I've ever worked with; he could perform all sorts of moves with both feet. In my heart, his position is unshakeable; there's no one to compare with him. However, Yamal does have some of his characteristics, such as dribbling ability and personality. Yamal is still very young, but he plays with extraordinary maturity, like a 30-year-old player. He's a genius, constantly improving every year, and his brilliance is becoming more and more evident."

On his teammates competing for the Ballon d'Or

Jesus said: "I don't like talking about the Ballon d'Or because I don't know whether the award is based on player talent, performance, or trophies won. However, Yamal is the player who makes me most enjoy football in recent years, and he's won almost everything this year. In my opinion, he is the top favorite."

On wearing Barcelona's number 9 shirt

Jesus said: "I'm very happy to wear the number 9 shirt at Barcelona, which was worn by 'alien' Ronaldo, because he is the player I admire most."

On wearing Brazil's number 9 shirt

Jesus said: "I also wear the number 9 shirt for the Brazil national team. In my opinion, it is the most significant jersey in the world, but this pressure is positive for me."

Jesus regards Ronaldo as his idol, partly because Ronaldo, like him, suffered a serious knee injury and worked hard to overcome it. In 2022, Jesus was absent for three and a half months due to a partial tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament. In January 2025, he suffered a complete tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament, keeping him out for eleven months. Despite two serious injuries, Jesus still feels he is fundamentally the same player as before the injuries. After recovery, his physical condition has returned to 90% of his pre-injury state, but he also acknowledges that he has had to make some adjustments to his playing style.

On the specific changes, Jesus said: "For example, I now try to stay closer to the penalty area to finish attacks, rather than frequently dropping deep to get the ball, because now I want to help the team more with goals."

Jesus has always been a man of faith, and his first knee injury while representing Brazil at the Qatar World Cup strengthened his faith in Jesus Christ.

On his daily habits

Jesus said: "I don't have any superstitious habits, but I have a fixed routine: listening to some spiritual music and always taking time to read the Bible. This gives me great confidence and strength because God is always with me when I'm injured and when no one wants me."

Jesus firmly believes that God planned his move to Barcelona in advance. This belief became reality when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta decided to exclude him from the team's plans for the season.

On his transfer to Barcelona

Jesus said: "I originally wanted to stay at Arsenal until my contract ended, or return to Brazil. I thought the opportunity to join Barcelona had passed, but God surprised me again. Imagine: you're left out of the team for a week, and then Barcelona comes, wanting to sign you. I didn't want to hear anything else. The process of joining here was quick and straightforward."

In early 2016, Barcelona wanted to sign Jesus, then 19 years old and rising through the ranks at Palmeiras. However, facing offers from various clubs, he ultimately chose Manchester City.

On that decision

Jesus said: "Barcelona already had three forwards back then – Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez – so it would have been difficult to get playing time. Of course, I could have learned a lot from them, but I needed to play at that time. So I decided to go to Manchester City, with Guardiola, because I felt I was still very young, and playing under his guidance was the best choice for my future."

Barcelona impressed Jesus more than he expected. According to him, the city is peaceful and suitable for family life. He joined a great club, and his adaptation process went very naturally. The overall level of the team is high, with a foundation of academy-trained players.

On the young players from La Masia

Jesus said: "Everyone talks about Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Bernal, Xavi Espart... they talk about La Masia's talent. But there's one player who impressed me, someone who doesn't get much attention, and that's Bernal. I enjoy watching his performances in training every day, and I also appreciate that he can play in at least three positions."

Barcelona's dressing room always maintains a cheerful and positive atmosphere, which also makes Jesus feel very comfortable.

On his relationship with teammates

Jesus said: "My teammates are always laughing and in good spirits, so it's easy to adapt. However, I'm closest with João Cancelo because we played together at Manchester City for three or four years, and he also speaks Portuguese."

The intensity demanded by new head coach Hansi Flick in every training session also impressed Jesus.

On training intensity

Jesus said: "Sometimes I come home very tired, but this kind of training is necessary to play our style. When we don't have the ball, we must press the opponent and regain possession, so training must maintain this intensity."

Jesus played under Guardiola for five and a half seasons, making 236 appearances and scoring 95 goals. In Flick, he sees the same training intensity and winning mentality as Guardiola.

On the differences between Guardiola and Flick

Jesus said: "Under Guardiola, we did more tactical training, but that was also because he came to Manchester City to change the style of play in the Premier League."

Reflecting on that experience, Jesus said: "No one thought he could succeed in the Premier League with that style, but we won many trophies."

On his goals

Jesus said: "I want to win everything with Barcelona. Not just the Champions League, I also want to win La Liga, because I've already won league titles in Brazil and England, and now I want to win one in Spain as well. Of course, I also want to win the Champions League, because I've already lost two finals. I'm someone who strongly believes in God's plan, and my arrival at Barcelona was no coincidence, you understand?"

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