Gary Lineker tips Lamine Yamal to emulate Lionel Messi as Alan Shearer expresses concern over Barcelona wonderkid
Football pundit Gary Lineker has tipped fast-rising Barcelona talent Lamine Yamal to emulate Lionel Messi following his sensational performance for Spain in a 2-1 Euro 2024 semifinal victory over France. Alan Shearer, however, raised concerns about the teenager's game-time management.
Lamine Yamal has impressed many with his performances in the ongoing continental tournament. The 16-year-old scored a stunning goal against France to fire Spain to a 2-1 victory and book their spot in the final. Following that effort, Gary Lineker tipped him to follow in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi.
"We don't want to get carried away but, boy oh boy, no one's ever done this stuff. Even Messi was later," the pundit waxed lyrical on The Rest Is Football podcast. "I'm not saying he's going to be a Messi or Maradona, but he could be. To do what he's doing at this age, and he's so calm. His decision-making and the goal, no one's ever done that.
"Pele scored two goals in a World Cup final, he was 17, nearly 18. This kid's 16, nearly 17. You don't want to go too overboard, you've got to be careful with these things," he added.
Another Premier League icon, Alan Shearer, however, raised a point about properly managing the 16-year-old's game time, with every manager likely to throw him in the mix following his sensational emergence.
"This was in the semi-final of the European Championship! I just can't get my head around his football intelligence and the fact he's still at school. It's mind-blowing but also beautiful," he said.
"This is the conundrum you've got. You've got someone with an incredible talent and different managers will come in and manage him. They'll see his ability and realise they're a better team with him in there, who can win them games. There's the problem.
"The manager of Barcelona next year is not going to be the Barcelona manager in five years, and it's a really selfish game. The manager will think, 'He can win me games' and is perhaps not interested in what happens in five years' time," added the Englishman.
It is no surprise that Lamine Yamal is being tipped to emulate Lionel Messi. The two players are products of Barcelona's famous La Masia academy and have enjoyed explosive rise to the scene at a very young age. There's even a picture that made the rounds on social media this week showing the Argentine with the Spanish teenager when he was a baby.
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal set to make Barcelona proud
Shortly after Lamine Yamal helped in the demolition of France to help Spain book a spot in the Euro 2024 final, Lionel Messi also achieved a similar feat as he scored once in a 2-0 victory over Canada which secured Argentina's spot in the 2024 Copa America decider.
Both players could make Barcelona proud once again. The 16-year-old could win the Euro on Sunday, July 14, when Spain take on the winner of the semi-final clash between England and the Netherlands.
Lionel Messi will get the chance to claim another Copa America trophy as La Albiceleste prepare to face the winner between Uruguay and Colombia in the decider on the same day. Barcelona fans would be proud if both players come out on top with their respective national sides.