Explained: How Barcelona are helping Lamine Yamal to become the next Lionel Messi - with 16-year-old wonderkid facing different challenges

La Masia academy graduate Yamal has sent records tumbling since bursting onto the senior scene in Catalunya. He has rewritten the history books with Barca and the Spain national team, making it impossible for his precocious talent to be ignored.

Barca have plenty of experience when it comes to nurturing such potential, with eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi among the previous teenage hopefuls to have stepped out of their famed youth system en route to becoming a global superstar.

Yamal is treading a similar path, but sporting director Deco has told La Vanguardia of why the hot prospect in the present faces a tougher task than those of the recent past: “We are facing something different that we have to take care of. The good thing about Leo was that he had a team that didn’t demand anything from him, he played in an atmosphere of growth because during the first few years he didn’t have any responsibility. When it was his turn to take it on, he already had all the experience. We will try to let Lamine grow with a bit of calm.”

Yamal has taken the Messi comparisons in his stride, with the youngster seemingly immune to pressure. The good news for Barcelona is that there is still plenty to come from him, as he gains more experience, while he has also been tied to a contact through to 2026.