Just like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho & Johan Cruyff! Barcelona icon explains why teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal is ‘writing his own story’

At just 17 years of age, Yamal has already passed 60 senior appearances at club level while earning 17 caps for Spain and becoming a European Championship winner. He is being compared to all-time greats of the past and present, with expectation being lumped onto young shoulders.

Barcelona icon Deco, now the club's sporting director, can understand the excitement and has told SPORT of seeing Yamal likened to superstars that have gone before him in Catalonia: "There will always be comparisons because football is passion and idolatry and we cannot ask the opposite of people, but everything in its time. Lamine is writing his own story. Leo, Johan, [Andres] Iniesta or Ronaldinho had their moment."

Yamal’s breakthrough came about as Barca once again looked to their La Masia academy system for inspiration during a testing period on and off the field – with the youngster not enjoying the kind of adaptation that made it easy for Messi to flourish in La Liga and Champions League-winning squads.

Deco added on the teenager becoming a key building block for Barcelona in a new era: "He has everything to be a benchmark for this club and it is wonderful to have him at home, to be able to take care of him and appreciate him. He has not been lucky enough to grow up in a team that was winning like Messi, but he is being part of a renewal process."

Yamal is nursing a knock at present, which was picked up on international duty in the UEFA Nations League, but will have an important role to play in Barcelona’s long-term future – with the expectation being that he will sign a lucrative new contract when turning 18 in July 2025.