Former Barcelona director Jordi Cruyff has cautioned against comparing teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to Lionel Messi, urging patience until the youngster reaches 30.
With both players graduating from the famed La Masia academy system, inevitable talk of a teenage star in the present treading the same path as an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been generated.
Yamal, has burst onto the scene, rewriting the history books with his senior breakthrough and securing La Liga and European Championship titles. His impressive displays have inevitably drawn parallels with Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
However, Cruyff, speaking to Radio MARCA, tempered expectations: “He is a different player, with a different talent, with a lot of personality for his age. From the very first day without any fear of ‘give me the ball, I’m going to make my move’. And the truth is that if he is not injured, he is obviously a player who is going to mark an era, but to say that he is going to be a Messi… We’ll know when he is 30 years old.”
Cruyff praised Yamal’s fearlessness and potential to “mark an era,” but emphasized the need for time.
Yamal has made no secret of the fact that he wants to become a legend in his own right, and the player himself has addressed the comparisons, telling El Hormiguero: “I I like being compared to the best player in football history, but I want to be myself. Reaching Messi’s level is impossible.”
As Yamal continues to develop at Barcelona, his progress will be closely watched. With areas to improve, he’s already making impressive strides. Could he follow in Messi’s footsteps and claim Golden Boy and Ballon d’Or honours? Only time will tell.
Image Credit: Getty/GOAL
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