‘We’ll know when he’s 30’ – Why Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal can’t be compared to Lionel Messi for another 13 years

With both players stepping out of the famed La Masia academy system, inevitable talk of a teenage star in the present treading the same path as an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been generated. Such a discussion would feel far-fetched for most, but Yamal has shown himself to be the hottest of prospects.

He has been rewriting the history books since making a senior breakthrough at the age of 15, and is already a proven performer with La Liga title and European Championship honours to his name. More prestigious prizes are expected to come his way, but it is far too early to put him in the Messi talent bracket.

That is an opinion shared by ex-Barca player and director Cruyff, with the Dutchman telling Radio MARCA on Yamal: “He is a different player, with a different talent, with a lot of personality for his age. From the very first day without any fear of ‘give me the ball, I’m going to make my move’. And the truth is that if he is not injured, he is obviously a player who is going to mark an era, but to say that he is going to be a Messi… We’ll know when he is 30 years old.”

Yamal has made no secret of the fact that he wants to become a legend in his own right, but has told El Hormiguero of the Messi debate that continues to rage around him: “I like being compared to the best player in football history, but I want to be myself. Reaching Messi’s level is impossible.”

Lamine is not yet the finished article, with there still areas of his game to work on, but impressive progress has been made to this point and there is every reason to believe that he will emulate Messi by landing Golden Boy and Ballon d’Or awards at some stage.