'Still things to learn' - Lamine Yamal told how to improve by Luis Suarez as former Barcelona star tips wonderkid to mark an era

Former Barcelona striker Suarez insisted that Yamal still has a lot of learning to do, despite being effusive in his praise for the boy wonder and acknowledging that he is already "marking an era and making a big difference."

Yamal made his Barca first-team debut towards the end of the 2022-23 season, before becoming an integral part of ex-boss Xavi's lineup the following season. Last summer, he shone at the 2024 European Championship, winning the Young Player of the Tournament award en route to Spain's triumphant campaign. Under Hansi Flick, the Spaniard's progress and development has skyrocketed, as he has become one of the leading candidates to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or after playing a big hand in the Catalans' La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de Espana trophy wins, as well as their entertaining run to the Champions League last-four. His displays and unprecedented quality, all while being just 17, have thrown him into the limelight and drawn groundbreaking praise from past legends as well as current players.

The Inter Miami striker, while speaking to the media, said: “Lamine is a player who is showing maturity at an early age compared to others. He shows great maturity at the age of 17.

“He takes responsibility when he participates in important matches, and he has challenges that he imposes on himself as a Barcelona fan. I am very happy for him.

“He has to continue to enjoy himself and continue to gain experience in order to continue to improve. There are still things he needs to learn, as we all learned when we were 18, 20, or 25 years old. He is marking an era and making a big difference."

Yamal is currently enjoying his vacation after playing 62 games for both club and country in the 2024-25 season. After his break, he'll link up with his Barcelona team-mates to begin preparations for the upcoming season with the pre-season activities that begin next month.