"I've seen this before", "About to be a movie" - Barcelona fans react as Lamine Yamal gets number previously worn by Lionel Messi
Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal will sport the number 19 jersey at the club in the upcoming 2024-25 season, previously worn by Lionel Messi before he took up the iconic number 10.
Yamal was reportedly set to take up the iconic number 10 at Camp Nou but preferred to go for number 19 as number 10 is currently held by Ansu Fati (via Mundo Deportivo). Fans reacted on social media after the reports emerged, with many comparing Lamine Yamal's rise to that of Lionel Messi.
Here are some of the reactions:
"I've seen this before," a Twitter user wrote.
"It's about to be a movie," another added.
"The next Messi" a fan wrote.
"industry plant" another user added.
"now this is great news" a fan wrote.
"Yes, finally common sense prevails" a netizen joked.
"We are gradually building another GOAT.." a fan exclaimed.
"Reminds me of the GOAT đ" a netizen added.
"Messi's number for Barça (and Argentina too) just before donning the #10 đ In the footsteps of THE GREAT." a netizen commented.
Lionel Messi started his career with the Barcelona senior team while sporting the number 30 in his first season. He began wearing the number 19 shirt in 2005 and continued with it for three seasons, before picking up the legendary number 10 in 2008 after Ronaldinho's departure.
As for Lamine Yamal, fans have been waiting to see him sport the Barca number 10, amid his comparisons with Messi. The youngster debuted with the number 27 shirt for the senior team in 2023.
Lionel Messi names Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as a future Ballon d'Or winner
Lionel Messi seems to have an uncanny connection with Lamine Yamal. Back in October 2023, Messi once claimed that the youngster could become a future Ballon d'Or winner.
In an interview with L'Equippe, the Argentine was asked who could win the coveted award in football after him. He mentioned a number of rising stars, including Lamine.
"There is a generation of players that can compete in the coming years. There are the cases of Haaland, MbappĂ©, Vinicius... I donât know, there are many young people. Lamine, who is now very young and is already playing at Barcelona and being important ... will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too. There are always good players. A very nice stage is coming to for us to enjoy,â Messi said (via Barca Blaugranes).
During Lamine Yamal's sensational Euro 2024 campaign with Spain, photos of him as a baby with a 20-year-old Messi surfaced via one of Yamal's father's posts. The youngster's father shared the images from 2007 where the then-Barcelona star Messi was bathing a young Lamine.
The photographer, Joan Monfort, confirmed the originality of the images to BBC and revealed that he took them as a part of a project in association with UNICEF and Sport.
Fans have been in awe of the unexpected connection between the two players since.