"Always making a difference in the big games" - Pundit claims Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is 'ahead of Lionel Messi' from when he was 17
Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit reckons Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal is already ahead of Lionel Messi in his development. He also hailed the 17-year-old for his impact in big games and maturity off the pitch.
Like Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal is a La Masia product, making his senior debut for Barcelona on April 29, 2023, at the age of 15. The Spaniard has flourished ever since, recording 25 goals and 34 assists in 106 appearances for the Blaugrana across all competitions.
In addition, Yamal has also helped Barcelona win four trophies, including two LaLiga titles, as well as Euro 2024 for the Spain national team. He has had an impressive start to his career, even compared to Lionel Messi.
The Argentine ace made his senior debut for the Blaugrana on October 16, 2004, aged 17. Despite winning the league title in his debut season, Messi struggled for minutes, scoring one goal and registering zero assists in nine appearances across all competitions during his 239 minutes on the pitch.
Petit waxed lyrical about Yamal, telling talkSPORTBET (via GOAL):
"Yamal is the most valuable player on the planet. He is the reason why you spend money to watch games in person but also on TV, every time he touches the ball something happens. He has vision, technique, and so much creative ability and he’s only 17. There are few words to describe him, he is ahead of Lionel Messi when he was at the same age."
He added:
"He is always making a difference in the big games, 99% of the time, he is delivering what you expect from the biggest players in the game, and he is only 17. I hope he can go on to have a career like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, he has such maturity at 17 and he has his own way of doing things in the press and on social media."
Lamine Yamal is one of the favorites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or and, given his potential, could go on to have a career similar to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spain international will be aiming to bounce back next season after narrowly losing the UEFA Nations League final to Portugal earlier this month.
How did Lionel Messi fare for Barcelona?
Lionel Messi may have had a relatively slow start to his career at the age of 17 compared to Lamine Yamal. However, the former went on to establish himself as arguably the greatest player of all time, winning eight Ballons d'Or - the most in football history.
Between 2004 and 2021, Messi scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 appearances across all competitions. He helped Barcelona win 34 trophies, including 10 LaLiga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
Unfortunately, the 37-year-old was forced to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2021 due to the club's financial woes. Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he plied his trade for two seasons, before joining Inter Miami in July 2023.
