Barcelona legend Lionel Messi is commonly the unattainable yardstick by which highly-promising, left-footed abilities are measured by early of their careers, however one present ‘wonderkid’ has maturely downplayed any comparisons with the Argentine nice.
Messi , who ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo ‘s checklist of the best gamers of all timeBallon d’Or s throughout his time at Barcelona earlier than leaving in 2021.
Lamine Yamal has since emerged as the following expertise for Barcelona followers to pin their hopes of success on, however, regardless of the comparisons with Messi, the 17-year-old is comfy simply making his approach within the recreation like he has managed.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal responds to comparability with Lionel Messi
Yamal has shone for Barcelona since breaking into the primary staff (Picture credit score: Chris Ricco – UEFA/UEFA through Getty Photographs)
“Fortunately, I am not the primary to have this occur to me,” Yamal advised Mundo Deportivo
“I attempt to be myself. Clearly Messi, and I at all times say this, is one of the best participant in historical past and being in comparison with him signifies that you are doing issues proper, however I attempt to be myself. I attempt to make my approach and provides all the pieces for this shirt.”
Yamal picked up Younger Participant of the Event at Euro 2024 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
As Yamal mentions, he is not even near being the primary participant dubbed ‘the following Lionel Messi’ at Barcelona, with Gerard Delofeu, Bojan, Giovani Dos Santos, Alen Halilovic, Munir El Haddadi and Ansu Fati all kids introduced by La Masia and given the moniker.
Yamal, although, seems to be finest set to emulate the Argentine nice out of these aforementioned people, with the 17-year-old having already starred on the European Championships and dominated La Liga on a constant foundation.
Matching the heights set by Messi will show extremely tough, if not inconceivable, however Yamal is clearly content material together with his profession trajectory and paving his personal approach at Barcelona and with Spain .
Nonetheless six months away from turning 18, Yamal has already performed 83 first staff video games, scoring 18 targets. Historical past has confirmed that younger gamers subjected to such giant quantities of minutes so early of their profession can typically come again to hang-out them in a while, with accidents and inconsistency quickly derailing their stratospheric potential.
Messi produced ridiculous numbers at Barcelona (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
In FourFourTwo ‘s view, it is barely unfair for gamers to always be in comparison with Lionel Messi whereas they’re nonetheless discovering their toes within the recreation. Sure, Yamal is an unimaginable footballer already who might go onto grow to be even higher than the Argentine, however proper now he’s a great distance off of that and will simply be allowed to develop and develop at his personal charge.
Barcelona will tackle both PSG or Benfica when the Champions League last-16 draw is made.
