Lamine Yamal makes massive announcement on his Barcelona future after receiving special award

Yamal, like Messi, is a product of Barca’s fabled La Masia academy system. He made his senior breakthrough at just 15 years of age and has seen records tumble around him since then. There is the promise of more history-making heroics to come.

At just 18 years of age he has already passed 100 appearances for the Blaugrana and recorded 38 goals. His roll of honour includes La Liga and European Championship titles, with 23 caps being earned for Spain.

Barcelona have moved to tie the hottest of prospects down on a lucrative contract, while handing him their iconic No.10 jersey, and hope that Yamal will join the greats while turning out for them on domestic and continental stages.

The youngster is already planning on staying put, telling those at the 78th Mundo Deportivo Gala when asked about his future: “I hope I can stay here forever, where I enjoy every day, at the best club and in the best city in the world.” He previously stated back in 2024: “I want to stay at Barca forever, I want to be a legend.”

Yamal was introduced at the MD Gala - where he picked up a special award - as “already being one of the best in the world”, with a runner-up finish being secured in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote. The expectation is that he will go on to land multiple Golden Balls.

The talented teenager will be setting lofty targets of that ilk, with there a desire on his part to adopt a similar mindset to all-time greats Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - two evergreen performers that have retained a relentless pursuit of perfection.

Yamal insists that he will not be resting on laurels, despite all that he has already achieved, with there always another target to be chased down. He said when asked to pick out his highlight of 2025-26: “My best moment this season? Now the best is yet to come! The important thing is coming.”

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Barca have already savoured Spanish Super Cup success this season, seeing off Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the final of that event, while progress has been made to the top of the Liga table - with a one-point lead being held over the Blancos.

They are also into the last 16 of the Champions League and will be in Copa del Rey action on Tuesday when facing Albacete - the team that sent Real crashing out of that competition in dramatic fashion. Yamal added on challenges there: “We're going for the Copa del Rey semi-final, which is a title we have to win.”

Yamal will have an important role to play in Barcelona’s trophy quests, as they often look to him for inspiration. He has been among the goals in his last three appearances - against Real Oviedo, FC Copenhagen and Elche.

That run started with a spectacular volley against Oviedo that saw Yamal fly through the air before crashing the ball into the back of the net. He is clearly brimming with confidence, and that bodes well for Barca.

They are, however, aware that another home-grown star can take his game to even greater heights as more experience is picked up. Blaugrana boss Hansi Flick is excited to see what the future holds.

He has said of Yamal: “He’s important for the team and the club. He’s also young enough to improve and take his game to the next level. I usually prefer to talk about the team, but it’s important that he’s playing at this level. He creates space for us, he creates chances. I’m happy.”

Yamal has sought to play down the many comparisons that have been made between him and eight-time Ballon d’Or-winning Barcelona legend Messi, but he is heading down a similar path. Unlike the Argentine icon, who had to leave Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, he is hoping to spend his entire career with the grandest of sporting institutions.