Next Lionel Messi? Lamine Yamal told Kylian Mbappe is 'closer' to GOAT status after Barcelona wonderkid is likened to Cristiano Ronaldo & Diego Maradona

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has given Yamal the biggest of billings. He gets to work with the youngster on an international stage, with European Championship glory being savoured in 2024. Records have been tumbling around the most highly-rated of wonderkids.

Yamal’s star continues to rise, with the expectation being that he will soon land a Ballon d’Or to sit alongside the Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards that he already boasts. He is treading a path similar to that which Argentine icon Messi headed down.

With that in mind, De la Fuente has said of Yamal: “If in 10 years' time he has no injuries, no setbacks and plays normally, he can become a player of the era like Messi, Maradona or Cristiano.”

Spain’s head coach added: “I've known him since he was 16 years old. We've had many conversations, almost like father and son. I always try to help him. He listens a lot when you try to help him. We have a very fluid relationship, with a lot of closeness.”

Yamal has been doing his best to steer clear of the Messi comparisons, with there acknowledgement on his part that the debate does nobody any favours. It would be almost impossible for him to emulate the achievements of the man who previously donned the No.10 shirt at Camp Nou that he now fills with distinction.

He has told CBS: “I think that Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time, but he also knows that I’m a good player. There will be mutual respect if we play against each other. He knows that I’m not trying to be him, to play like him, or wear the 10 like him. I want to follow my own path.”

While the teenage forward has been trying to quieten a distracting discussion, while stating a desire to build his own legacy, he is finding it difficult to escape the shadow cast by eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

He may well go on to become an all-time great in his own right, but such a billing feels slightly fanciful for an 18-year-old who still has much to learn. Ex-Spain international Guti admits as much.

He told AS when asked about De la Fuente’s comments regarding Yamal, Messi, Maradona and Ronaldo: “Wow. I see him as a fantastic player and a potential Ballon d'Or winner, but you're talking about three players who are the best in the world. Maradona won the World Cup in Mexico without having a great team, and Messi and Cristiano won by scoring 50 goals over 10 years. That's going to be very difficult for just anyone to achieve. I see Kylian as closer to achieving it than Lamine.”

Madrid talisman Mbappe, at 26 years of age, boasts a more comprehensive portfolio of work than Yamal. He has been competing at the highest level for longer and proved himself over a greater period of time.

Mbappe claimed a global crown with France in 2018 and netted a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final - as Les Bleus came unstuck against Messi and Argentina. He is Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer, with 235 efforts registered for the Ligue 1 giants, and is three strikes away from boasting a similar standing with his country as Olivier Giroud’s tally of 57 goals is chased down.

Yamal already has European Championship and La Liga triumphs on his CV, and will grace the World Cup finals with Spain next summer. He is seemingly destined for greatness, but caution continues to be urged by those that have seen hot prospects fizzle out in the past.