A Soul Born for Football
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Pay attention! The boy the world is talking about, the one who leaves even the most eloquent speechless, is only 17 years old. At an age where most teenagers are just getting their ID or learning to drive, he’s already rewriting football history.
In the world of football, he’s often compared to legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But he humbly responds, “Don’t compare me to anyone. I just want to be myself, show my skills, and work hard to write my own story—just like the greats before me.”
Comparing Lamine Yamal to Messi or Ronaldo may not be far-fetched—because at his age, even they hadn’t reached the level he’s at. Let’s stop the comparisons at 17.
Lamine has already played 100 matches by age 17. His 100th game was nothing short of a miracle. In those appearances, he’s scored 22 goals and provided 27 assists.
By the same age, Lionel Messi had played 91 games—9 fewer than Lamine—with just 1 goal and no assists. Cristiano Ronaldo had played only 19 games before turning 18, scoring 5 goals and assisting 4.
The day after his 17th birthday, Lamine won the European Championship with Spain—a brilliant performance in Germany that served as the perfect birthday gift. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo had made their senior national team debut by that age.
This teenager’s record-breaking feats are nothing short of a blessing. At just 15, he made his debut for Barcelona in La Liga. He is the youngest player to start in La Liga, the youngest to score in the Champions League, and the youngest to score in the knockout stages, quarter-finals, and semi-finals.
He is also the youngest player ever to appear for the Spanish national team—and the youngest to score in a European Championship.
So yes, it’s not wrong to compare him to Messi or Ronaldo based on what he has achieved so far. And no, doing so won’t hinder his future. Let time reveal the rest.
Lamine and Messi share more than just talent. Both were molded at the famed La Masia academy. Both are magical with their left foot. Both strike fear into defenders when attacking from the right wing.
There’s even a photo of Messi bathing a baby at age 20—that baby was Lamine. Some say the Argentine passed his footballing magic on to him. But for Lamine, a life devoted to football hasn’t come without sacrifice and pain.
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi called him a “once-in-50-years” talent. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick simply nodded, saying, “If Inzaghi says that, it must be true. Because this only happens at Barça.”
Source: ✍️ Hussein Gizaw