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Sports
Lionel Messi has chosen Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the player who most reminds him of his own early career.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain of Inter Miami, has publicly identified the young player he sees as a mirror of his own early self. In a move that surprised few, the football legend pointed to Barcelona's rising star, Lamine Yamal.
Messi spent the vast majority of his career at Barcelona, rising through the ranks from childhood to become the club's all-time leading scorer and one of its greatest icons. He departed the Catalan side in the summer of 2021 after contract renewal negotiations broke down.
"If I had to choose one player based on his age, what he has achieved so far, and the promising future that awaits him, it would undoubtedly be Lamine Yamal," Messi said during a tour with the sportswear company Adidas.
The 18-year-old Yamal is widely viewed as the most prominent heir to Messi's legacy at Barcelona. He has already set early career records that surpass those the Argentine star achieved at the same age.
Yamal now wears the famous number 10 jersey that Messi wore for many years. His list of accomplishments includes becoming the youngest player to score 40 goals for Barcelona, the youngest to reach 100 appearances for the first team, and posting standout statistics in dribbling and chance creation.
The young Spanish international is currently sidelined from Barcelona due to an injury. This absence will prevent him from participating in the upcoming Clásico against Real Madrid. He is racing against time to be fit for the 2026 World Cup with the Spanish national team.
