‘Started to replace Lionel Messi’ - Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal earns ‘biggest talent’ billing from Spain’s World Cup rival

Yamal simply cannot stop collecting accolades, with fans, team-mates, and even opposition managers left in awe of the talent on display. His ascent to the highest level of the game at such a young age feels almost unprecedented, and the latest person to join the chorus of praise is Saudi Arabia manager Georgios Donis.

Ahead of his side’s match against La Roja, Donis delivered a staggering assessment of the 18-year-old winger. “I think Yamal is maybe this period the biggest talent in the world. I think he started to replace Messi in Barcelona in the best way,” Donis said. “I didn’t see a player at this age to make this difference and to have this quality and to play with this maturity.”

While the footballing world often focuses on Yamal’s dribbling, goals, and flashes of magic, Donis believes the youngster's greatest asset is his understanding of the game. He noted that Yamal possesses a footballing IQ usually reserved for veteran players who have spent decades at the top level.

“For me the most important is not about the skills, but about the maturity and he knows what he can do every moment and that is the biggest difference,” the Saudi Arabia boss explained. He further added that facing such quality is a treat for the sport: “It’s wonderful for the world of football to see talents like Lamine Yamal, and it’s beautiful to face players with this level of quality.”

Donis is no stranger to facing Barcelona legends across different eras. He used his previous experience coaching against the club during Messi's peak to contextualize just how impressive the current teenage sensation has become. For the Saudi manager, the impact on the pitch is strikingly similar to that of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

“I remember myself when I was coaching Abuel and we faced Barcelona during Messi’s era,” Donis recalled. “And in general, I see that Lamine Yamal currently is the youngest talent who possesses the greatest quality alongside this maturity.”

Beyond the club level, Yamal has become indispensable for the Spanish national team. Donis argues that Luis de la Fuente’s side lacks the same cutting edge when the Barcelona star and Nico Williams are not on the pitch, pointing to Spain’s struggles with possession that lacks a clinical final product.

“I always respond with honesty, Spain is not the same team when Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams are on the bench,” Donis stated. “The team becomes different, in the sense that it has possession, but it lacks the individual element, and the one-on-one individual situations when these two players are absent. This was clearly evident in the last match; despite the high possession, Spain missed the individual solutions.”