'I’m Not Trying To Be Him': Barcelona Youngster Breaks His Silence On Ongoing Lionel Messi Comparison

Since stepping out of the La Masia Academy, Lamine Yamal has been compared to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, who left the club back in 2021. The youngster, however, wants to make his own legacy and not follow somebody else's path.

Lamine Yamal broke into the senior team at the age of 15 and has been an asset to the Barcelona side. The 18-year-old is already a European champion with his national team, Spain, and a La Liga Champion with his club. Additionally, Yamal has won both the Kopa Trophy and the Golden Boy trophy.

There is an expectation that the Spanish international will soon have his own Ballon d’Or, allowing him to chase Lionel Messi's historic haul of eight. Notably, Lamine Yamal finished second in the Ballon d’Or 2025 voting.

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Lamine Yamal Labels Lionel Messi As the Best Footballer Of All Time

In an interview with CBS, the player was asked about his thoughts on being compared with the World Cup winner. The youngster shared that he was not trying to be like Messi and that he wanted to forge his own path in football.

He explained, "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."

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Yamal On Lionel Messi Being His Inspiration As A Kid

The Spanish International shared that he used to study Messi's passes to learn the technique as a kid. He added that while other players' passes were good, it was the former PSG star's passes that mostly ended in goals.

Additionally, Yamal shared that he was never a dribbler on the field; instead, he liked to run a lot and score goals.