Lionel Messi or Neymar? Lamine Yamal Gives Verdict Ahead of FIFA WC 2026 Match Between Argentina-Austria
FIFA WC 2026: Spanish star Lamine Yamal gave his verdict on who he thinks is better - Lionel Messi or Neymar?
- SportFit
- 2 min read
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FIFA WC 2026: Spanish star Lamine Yamal gave his verdict on who he thinks is better - Lionel Messi or Neymar? Claiming that his idol is Neymar, yet he admitted that Messi was better. Yamal said this after Messi's hattrick for Argentina in their tournament opener against Algeria.
‘Messi is the best’
“In every match he proves he’s the greatest of all time. If someone doubts it, it’s because they’re looking for reasons to. There’s nothing more to say — for me, he’s the best,” the Spain international told RTVE.
“Obviously, my idol is Neymar because I enjoy watching him play. But Messi is the best, and there’s no debate about that,” he added.
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“I don’t think about what Messi or Kylian Mbappé are doing (scoring goals). I focus on myself and on my national team, because I could score many goals and still end up being eliminated from the tournament, and that would be sad,” he concluded.
Messi's Feats
The Argentine captain recently became the oldest player to score more than once in a World Cup match, surpassing Roger Milla's long-standing record of 38 years and 34 days.
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Messi has now scored in five different World Cups, becoming only the second player to achieve the feat after Cristiano Ronaldo. However, despite such milestones, Lamine Yamal insisted there is no debate over who stands as the greatest footballer of all time.
Yamal also said he is feeling fit and ready to contribute for his team, while stressing that he is still being carefully eased back into full match rhythm after recovering from a recent injury concern.
The Barcelona star continues to carefully manage a return from a hamstring injury, though the 18-year-old remains available for limited minutes in Sunday's (local time) game against Saudi Arabia in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament.