Football is littered with any number of former pretenders to the Messi throne, all of whom have achieved and suffered varying degrees of success and adversity.
Giovani dos Santos, Gerard Deulofeu, Ansu Fati, Munir El Haddadi and, most notably, Bojan Krkic are just a few of the players who have been cited as the next great thing.
Lamine Yamal prefers to let the media talk the talk while he concentrates on walking the walk, even with the constant Ballon d’Or chatter that has followed him since he was 16.
He plays so that people have fun. He wants children to want to be like him, not like Messi or Ronaldo.
“I am not thinking about the Ballon d’Or. I want to enjoy myself and win with Barca and the national team,” he said.
“Pressure does not exist, it is an excuse. If you just think about enjoying yourself and having fun, there is no pressure.”
His youth coach Inocente Diaz, who watched him come through the Barcelona academy, was saying this years ago.
“He is even better than Messi,” he told Spanish newspaper Sport in 2025. “He possesses a unique blend of physical attributes reminiscent of both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In six years, he will win the Ballon d’Or.”
Lamine Yamal, for his part, keeps the World Cup in his sights.
He has already told us what he thinks about Spain’s chances there. One word, delivered in English. But behind the smile is a player who has been dreaming about this tournament his entire life.
“I have always imagined playing in a World Cup, seeing my mother in the stands. I hope I can win it,” he said.
