Lionel Messi has singled out Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal as the present and future of world football.
The pair first crossed paths 16 years ago. Yamal's parents won a charity raffle to have their infant son included a Barcelona calendar back in 2008 alongside one of the first-team players. As fate would have it, the future prodigy was paired with a 20-year-old Messi.
Since establishing himself as a first-team regular at Barcelona while he was still 16, Yamal has earned endless comparisons to Messi. A silky, left-footed right winger with a penchant for humiliating opposition full-backs, there is undoubtedly a similarity in their style of play - one which the legendary Argentine has even admitted.
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal is an undisputed star for Barcelona / Lars Baron/GettyImages
"There is a generation of very good young footballers who have many years ahead of them," Messi mused at a recent event for adidas. "If I have to choose someone, because of their age and the future they have, I have heard that they have chosen Lamine Yamal and without a doubt for me too. I agree.
"It depends on him and on many things because that is how football is, but he is the present and without a doubt he has an enormous future."
Barcelona vice-captain Raphinha sees more similarities between Yamal and Neymar, but Messi isn't a bad role model to follow.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is widely hailed as the greatest player of all time. International glory came at the end of his glorious career, yet Messi established himself as Barcelona's all-time leading scorer when he was just 24. However, even the legendary Argentine can't match Yamal's prodigious feats.
Messi was less than two months away from his 18th birthday when he scored his first goal for Barcelona. Yamal only turned 17 on the day before the final of Euro 2024 and has already amassed 16 goals and 88 senior appearances for club and country.
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