Friday night: Seen at WWE Smackdown 👊 Sunday night: Scores an injury-time winner for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid 🤯 What a weekend for Lamine Yamal 🔥

When any Barcelona youngster bursts onto the scene, they are inevitably compared with the club’s greatest player Lionel Messi. This has very much been the case for Lamine Yamal.

Still only 17, the Spaniard is set to be the next big thing in football for many years to come. Unlike the likes of Bojan Krkic, Alen Haliliovic, and Giovani Dos Santos who were all tipped to be the next big thing at Barca, Yamal already looks to be the real deal.

Having won Euro 2024, and then finishing eighth in the 2024 Ballon d’Or, it’s hard not be excited about the teenager. However, teammate Raphinha has played down similarities to Messi, instead comparing him to another Barcelona icon Neymar.

Raphinha Plays Down Yamal Similarities With Messi
“I see him more like Neymar”

Speaking in an interview with El Pais, Raphinha was talking about the famous Argentine, saying: “Messi is from another world. Inexplicable.” He was then asked if Lamine is going down that same path. The Brazilian, however, likened his teenage teammate to another Barcelona legend, stating:

“In terms of dribbling and how quickly he thinks to dribble, I see him more like Neymar. When you think you can steal the ball from him, he does something you’ve never seen in your life.”

With all the pressure put on whenever a youngster is backed to be ‘the next Messi’, it’s perhaps not a bad thing for Raphinha to play down the comparison. Even Yamal himself has tried to steer off any such calls, humbling saying of the Inter Miami ace: “He is the best player in history and being compared to him is incredible. There is no one who can compare to him and even less me, who has just started. I wish I could have half of his career.”

That said, as a Brazilian, it’s still a pretty monumental compliment to give. After all, Neymar is right up there with the very best to play for the South American nation. Not only that, but the current Al Hilal star did pretty special things at Barcelona as well. Indeed, playing alongside Messi and Suarez in that fabled MSN line-up, the winger scored 105 goals and picked up 76 assists in 186 games. On top of that, he also won the Champions League, two La Liga titles and more during his time in Spain.

Still in the infancy of his career, Yamal has a long way before he reaches Neymar’s level. But with 13 goals and 15 assists under his belt already – not to mention breaking countless records – the young winger has certainly made a good start if he intends to one day surpass the legacy of the former Barcelona man.

graphic of Lamine Yamal and Neymar stats at Barcelona
Although, football isn’t just about goals and assists. As one of the best dribblers in the history of the game, Neymar left an indelible mark on the Catalan outfit with his unique style and fans will fondly remember his best moments for many years to come. But with similar traits – at least in the eyes of Raphinha – Yamal has a playing blueprint to follow if he is to also attain legend status with the club one day.