“There is no one else like him” - Ex-Barcelona star waters down Lamine Yamal comparison with Lionel Messi
Former Barcelona star Jordi Alba has shared his opinion on the comparisons between Lionel Messi and La Masia prodigy Lamine Yamal. The teenager has had a meteoric rise in football and is already earmarked as the next big thing in the sport.
Lamine Yamal rose to prominence in Barcelona's famed football academy La Masia. At just 15, the Spaniard made his debut in La Blaugrana's 4-0 win over Real Betis on April 29, 2023. In the 2023-24 season, he became a regular starter for the club, recording seven goals and nine assists in 50 club matches across competitions.
The youngster has had a brilliant start to the 2024-25 season, registering 12 goal contributions (five goals and seven assists) in just 13 club games across competitions. Like Yamal, Lionel Messi was a La Masia graduate, going on to become arguably the greatest player the club had ever produced.
Therefore, Lionel Messi vs. Lamine Yamal comparisons have dominated football discourse for some time now. Jordi Alba provided his two cents on the comparison during an interview ahead of the MLS Playoffs. As reported by Spanish outlet Marca, Alba lavished praise on Lamine Yamal but didn't believe the Spaniard was at Lionel Messi's level.
“When I was at Barça, he was already training occasionally with the first team, and he even debuted in a match against Betis. It’s clear that he’s grown tremendously—he’s just 17, and what he’s doing is incredible. He needs support, and the people there are doing a great job with him,” opined Jordi Alba.
He added:
“We need to be patient and not compare him to anyone, because in the end, Leo is Leo, and there’s no one else like him. But I think he’s having a great season, taking on responsibilities that aren’t easy at 17, and that deserves a lot of credit. I hope he continues to learn and enjoy football.”
Jordi Alba has played 372 games with Lionel Messi, registering 40 joint goal participation with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. After spending eight seasons (2012-13 to 2020-21) in Barcelona, the two are making their magic work in the MLS outfit Inter Miami.
"Reaching Messi's level is impossible" - Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal shuts down Lionel Messi comparisons
Barcelona wonder kid Lamine Yamal recently broke his silence on comparisons with Lionel Messi, stating that matching the Argentine was impossible.
Lionel Messi came through the ranks at La Masia and played 778 senior games for Barcelona. He is the highest goalscorer and the highest assist provider in La Blaugrana's history with 672 goals and 303 assists across competitions.
The talismanic Argentine also won three UEFA Best Player in Europe awards, a record six European Golden Boots, and four UEFA Champions League trophies with Barcelona. He left the Catalan club in August 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The 17-year-old winger said to Spanish TV station Antena 3 (via Eurosport):
"I like that they compare me to the greatest player in the history of football, but I want to be myself, Reaching Messi's level is impossible."
After scoring a record 704 goals and bagging a record eight Ballons d'Or, Messi is currently filling stadiums in the United States with Inter Miami. The Argentine has already scored 33 goals and 17 assists in 36 games for the Herons.