Would Lamine Yamal get into Barcelona dream team alongside Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Xavi & Andres Iniesta? Gerard Pique makes bold statement on teenage wonderkid

Between 2008 and 2012, with Pep Guardiola calling the shots, the Blaugrana dominated Spanish and European football. They collected three La Liga titles during that period, along with two Champions League crowns and a couple of FIFA Club World Cups.

Argentine icon Messi was the undoubted star of the show, as he helped himself to more Ballons d’Or, but one all-time great was ably assisted by others in the form of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Thierry Henry.

There were few chinks in the armour of that star-studded squad and, with that in mind, ex-Barca defender Pique has told Iker Casillas’ podcast when asked if a leading light from the class of 2024-25 would make Guardiola’s starting XI: “My feeling is that Lamine Yamal would not be playing in our generation.”

That is some shout, as Yamal has been breaking all kinds of records since making his senior debut for Barcelona at the age of 15. He is a now a European Championship winner with Spain and the proud holder of Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards.

Yamal would, however, have found it difficult to break into an attacking unit that included the likes of Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Henry, David Villa and Pedro. He is hoping to enhance his reputation in the years to come by landing domestic and continental honours of his own.