'Arrogant' Lamine Yamal warned not to fall into Kylian Mbappe trap as ex-Barcelona star pinpoints one key area 18-year-old sensation must improve

Teen sensation Yamal has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence on the back of making his senior debut at the age of 15. He recently celebrated his 18th birthday, signing a lucrative new contract in Catalunya and inheriting the No.10 shirt that Lionel Messi once wore with such distinction.

Yamal continues to star on the field, but has started to make as many headlines off it - with his private life being thrust under the microscope. He is being advised to avoid the distractions that can knock a promising career off course.

The youngster is being advised to remain humble, with World Cup-winning Frenchman Mbappe - who is a now a ‘Galactico’ at Real Madrid - considered to be one of those that allowed intense hype to impact his performances.

Former Barcelona midfielder Emmanuel Petit has told AS of Yamal: “He reminds me of Messi on the right wing. Every time he touches the ball, you can see he's creating danger. He usually draws two or even three opponents into his area, which opens up space for his team-mates. That's why Barca is so dangerous.

“With Raphinha and a great midfield, the threat can come from anywhere. I've seen many teams try to defend by putting two or three players against Yamal, and it doesn't work. At his age, he's a phenomenon.”

Petit added: “If he maintains this level, he'll win the Ballon d'Or. And he knows he has to repeat that, both at Barca and with the Spanish national team. The World Cup is coming up at the end of the season, another big goal for him. But to truly establish himself, he needs to win the Champions League.

“His qualities - technique, vision, power, intelligence in his movements - are unique. The only thing he needs to improve is his mentality. Right now, everything is going well for him. But if something negative happens, there will be plenty waiting to bring him down. We'll see how he reacts.

“It's similar to Mbappe: for years everything was green, then suddenly everything collapsed and he wasn't the same on the pitch. Yamal needs to be careful with his communication and social media management. Sometimes a touch of arrogance comes across.

“In the past, great footballers tended to be quite shy. Some were arrogant, yes, but they backed it up with their play. The problem arises when the results aren't there. He's still very young, and his brilliance is due in part to pure talent; maturity will come. The player who's on the pitch should help him grow off it as well.”

Yamal, who is already a European Championship winner with Spain, helped Barca to a domestic treble last season - with a positive start being made to the defence of their Liga title in 2025-26 with maximum points being taken from their opening two games.