Lamine Yamal: Forging His Own Path, Away from Comparisons with Messi
The young Barcelona prodigy, Lamine Yamal, has made it clear that he doesn’t seek to be the next Lionel Messi. In an interview with the program 60 Minutes, Yamal expressed his respect for the Argentinian legend, but emphasized his desire to create his own history in football.
“I don’t want to be Messi and Messi knows I don’t want to be him. I want to follow my path and that’s all.”
Comparisons to Messi have been inevitable due to their similarities on the field and their training in Barcelona’s youth academy. However, Yamal, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or, an award that Messi has won eight times, prefers to distance himself from that label.Lamine Yamal ha evitado las comparaciones con Lionel Messi.Yamal highlighted the importance of mutual respect between both players. He recognizes Messi’s influence on his game, especially in his vision and passing ability, also drawing inspiration from players like Luka Modrić.
The young footballer, who inherited the number 10 jersey from Barça, is proud of his passing skills, as he demonstrated in the 3-1 victory against Alavés, where he assisted Dani Olmo. Yamal also shared that as a child he didn’t dribble much, but always had a good vision of the game.
The possibility of a match on the field between Yamal and Messi could occur in the next World Cup, where Spain and Argentina have qualified.
Spain, with Yamal as one of its key figures, arrives at the tournament with high expectations after its victory in the European Championship. Yamal is optimistic about Spain’s chances in the World Cup.
When asked if Spain will win the World Cup, Yamal responded with a resounding “Yes”.
