A former Spain forward has compared Messi to Lamine Yamal in terms of his exceptional skills.
During Spain’s opening Euro 2024 match against Croatia on Saturday night, Lamine Yamal stole the show.
The attention was on Yamal, who became the youngest player in the history of the European Championship to produce an assist, as Spain easily won 3-0.
He also secured the distinction of becoming the youngest player to start in a European game going into the match.
Even though Yamal was unable to score against Croatia, several prominent footballers in Europe took notice of his play, which included an assist.
Fernando Llorente heaps praise on Yamal
One of them was former Spain forward Fernandez Llorente, who went a step further by declaring Lamine Yamal a better player than Lionel Messi at his age.
“Not even Messi was at this level at that age. Lamine Yamal does extraordinary things. He can’t be compared to anyone,” he said.
Yamal had a stellar 2023–24 season, which led to a valuation gain of €90 million, more than any other player in the globe. This is the background on which Llorente based his remarks.
The 16-year-old winger contributed to 17 goals across all competitions, with his most notable accomplishment being assisting Barcelona to second place in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Although many may find Llorente’s remarks regarding Yamal somewhat absurd, they are not unfounded.
In fact, Messi didn’t really have an impact on adult football until he was 17 years old, despite his incredible record at Barcelona. Yamal, on the other hand, has more than 50 appearances in competitive games for Barcelona.
What Messi achieved afterwards, though, is what counts the most. And Barcelona fans will be having similar expectations from Yamal as well, as the young Spaniard looks to emulate the Argentine legend.
