FC Barcelona icon Lionel Messi heaped praise on his fellow La Masia product Lamine Yamal during an event held at their shared sponsor Adidas' Herzogenaurach headquarters in Germany this week.
It was there that Messi was asked by renowned artist Goke Oyewo which young player he sees as being capable of marking an era, as he himself has done for a good two decades now winning no fewer than eight Ballon d'Ors, four Champions Leagues and the 2022 World Cup.
"There's a very good generation of young footballers who have many years ahead of them," Messi said.
"If I have to choose someone, because of the age and because of the future that he has, I"ve heard that they have chosen Lamine Yamal and without doubt [it's him] for me too.
"I agree it depends on him and many things because that's how soccer is, but he's the present and without a doubt has a huge future," Messi added.
Both left-footed La Masia academy graduates who debuted for the Blaugrana first team as teenage prodigies, Messi and Lamine are often compared.
Furthermore, a photo of a young Messi appearing to "bless" a baby Lamine hardly six months old resurfaced during Spain's successful Euro 2024 campaign this summer and swiftly went viral.
Unfortunately we'll probably never get to see them play together at Camp Nou given Messi is now 37 and currently plies his trade at Inter Miami.
Yet the Argentine once more showed that he wants to see the Catalans back on top of the sport again as they were at his peal.
"I would love to see Barca winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and also the Champions League. And in the years that I can't [see that], that at least it competes until the last moment," Messi hoped.
With Lamine on the left wing, Messi just might get his wish.
Trophies aren't guaranteed this term, but Lamine's displays have had much to do with Barca currently topping La Liga at the expense of bitter rival Real Madrid and rising up to second place in the UCL league phase after beating Borussia Dortmund in a 3-2 thriller on Wednesday.