Lamine Yamal is ‘touched by the wand of God

There had been rumors going around Barcelona for a time that a new superstar was coming out of its esteemed junior ranks. After a record-breaking year, Lamine Yamal is now known to practically everyone in soccer.

Despite being only 16 years old, the electrifying attacker is already having a significant impact on both the home and international game.

 

He made history in April when, at the age of 15 years and 290 days, he made his debut for the Blaugrana in a competitive match.

 

He is also the second-youngest player in Champions League history, behind Youssoufa Moukoko of Borussia Dortmund, and the youngest to represent Barça.

Then, in September, he worked his magic on the Spanish national team, becoming the team’s youngest-ever player and goal-scorer when he entered the game as a substitute during a 7-1 triumph against Georgia.

As if that weren’t enough, the forward scored for his team against Granada on Sunday, becoming the league’s youngest goal scorer ever.

 

 

The gifted forward has an outstanding résumé for someone who hasn’t even completed a full season in professional football, and the sky seems to be the limit for him.

 

 

 

Unhealthy Comparisons
Yamal may find it challenging to handle such adoration and appreciation as he makes his way through the professional soccer landscape.

Many athletes who graduated from Barcelona’s renowned La Masia showed a lot of potential before finding it difficult to live up to the high expectations.

 

You only need to consider Ansu Fati, who achieved success around Yamal’s age before losing favor and ultimately singing for Premier League team Brighton to revive his career.

 

However, there are many young players who succeed in the game and attain great success; current Barcelona stars Pedri and Gavi are prime examples.

Yamal, who has played for the club since he was seven years old, is fortunate to have a manager at Barcelona who is knowledgeable about how to make the transition from academy product to club star.

 

When comparing Yamal to earlier greats, Xavi, who is regarded as one of Barcelona’s best players, has been cautious but equally amazed by his talent.

 

According to ESPN, Xavi told reporters, “I hope Lamine can mark an era, but we are not doing him any favors saying that.”

“It’s true that there are high expectations, and at the age of 16, he is playing at a brutal level, which is quite encouraging.

But let’s wait to judge his performance in the future before comparing him to Messi. For all the players who have previously been likened to Messi, things haven’t gone so smoothly.

Although they are unproductive, comparisons to Messi are unavoidable given the evident parallels in their styles of play.

Similar to the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Yamal consistently makes the proper choices and has a quick turn of foot that confuses opponents.
Despite his little size, he has an uncanny knack for getting out of sticky situations, and his body feints appear to have sprung directly from Messi’s bag of tricks.

 

Yamal, though, is a player in his own right, and despite all the strain on his young shoulders, he still plays with a smile on his face.

 

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona has been frantically trying to sign its newest wonderkid.

Yamal renewed his contract earlier this month, keeping him at the Nou Camp through June 2026. The agreement also included a huge buyout clause for one billion euros, or roughly $1.05 billion.

It’s evidence of how much Barcelona values this daring new talent, who has all the makings of one of the best players in the world.

 

Yamal will have the world’s attention this season as he becomes a mainstay in both his club and national teams.

 

It remains to be seen if this outstanding youngster can live up to the extremely high expectations.