Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, has emphasized the importance of allowing Lamine Yamal to establish his own identity, despite the frequent comparisons with Lionel Messi. While affirming Messi’s standing as the greatest player in history, Laporta described Yamal as the best player currently active, urging patience in drawing parallels between the two.
Addressing CNN, Laporta noted that Yamal and Messi share strong personalities but stressed that the young talent should not be rushed into constant comparison with the club legend. He highlighted the remarkable achievements of Messi as unmatched but expressed confidence in Yamal’s promising potential.
“Lamine is Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi was Lionel Messi. Messi has been the best player in the world, and Lamine, I think that in today’s situation, he is the best in the world,”
Laporta said.
“I think we’ll see, we’ll see. Lamine has a lot of personality, like Messi, in his time he also had a lot of personality. Of course, Messi won everything. Messi did everything. For me, he is probably the best player in history.”
The club president also recognized Yamal’s exceptional talent and suggested that the youngster is following a path similar to Messi’s.
“He is the type of player of which there are very few like him because he is a genius, and he is at the highest level,”
Laporta added.
Over the past 15 months, Lamine Yamal has become an integral part of Barcelona’s first team, earning the prestigious number 10 jersey. The club demonstrated their belief in his future by signing him to a contract extension this summer, securing his stay until 2031.
Calls from Soccer Icons to Support Yamal Without Pressure Linked to Messi Comparisons
Prominent figures in the football world, including former Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero and Cristiano Ronaldo, have spoken out against placing excessive expectations on Yamal through comparisons with Messi. They argue that such comparisons can hinder the young player’s development by creating unnecessary pressure.
Aguero recently expressed that Messi’s career stands alone and should not be used as a benchmark to judge Yamal at this stage of his career. He emphasized the need for the teenager to forge his own path.
“I don’t believe there’s a lot of value in this type of hypotheticals. Leo has a singular, one-of-a-kind trajectory of personal and team feats under his belt,”
Aguero explained.
“For Barcelona, he’s the best there ever was. So, this type of comparisons aren’t helpful. Lamine should pave his own path. He’s just getting started and he’s done brilliantly until now.”
Cristiano Ronaldo also commented on Yamal’s progress, advising fans and observers to ease the burden on the young player and allow him to mature naturally.
“Lamine Yamal is doing very well, he is taking full advantage of his talent. Now let the kid grow and don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him be and let him grow well, take the pressure off him. He has no shortage of talent,”
Ronaldo stated.
Yamal’s Rising Role at Barcelona and Connection to Club Legend Messi
Although Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal have yet to share the field professionally, the two attracted attention recently due to a rediscovered photograph from a 2007 photoshoot that featured both players. This image resurfaced on social media, amplifying the narrative linking the young hopeful to the club’s most celebrated star.
Barcelona’s decision to assign Yamal the iconic number 10 jersey reflects their faith in his abilities and future contributions. With his contract extended through 2031, the club is signaling a long-term commitment to nurturing his talent as they aim to build around the promising youngster.
As the season advances, the football community will watch carefully to see how Lamine Yamal develops under the weight of expectations and whether he can meet the high hopes set by the precedent of Lionel Messi’s legendary career.