Can Lamine Yamal become the greatest footballer of all time? Talent might not be enough, writes NICK SAID.
Lamine Yamal took over the iconic No.10 jersey at Barcelona this season, worn previously by greats such as Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi.
It is incredibly symbolic that arguably the best young footballer in the world gets to take on the most high-profile number at a club that has seen some of the greatest ever players pass through its doors.
This indicates that Barcelona believes Yamal can be as good as those legends … and the early numbers of the 18-year-old’s career suggest so.
He is already beating the numbers of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at a comparative age, and if he can keep the hunger and the longevity of those two, could well exceed their achievements.
There is a long way to go. There have been plenty of teenagers in the past who have promised much and fizzled out as their bodies give up or off-field actions begin to take precedence.
The Brazilian Ronaldo Nazário, who also played for Barça, is in many people’s eyes among the greatest players to have lived, but he never quite reached that enormous potential.
He made a little over 500 appearances in almost 20 years, hampered by injury and a party lifestyle.
What has been the secret to Messi and Portuguese Ronaldo’s greatness has been their longevity and ability to stay fit for most of their careers.
Messi is closing in on 1 000 appearances in club football, while Portuguese Ronaldo is nearing 1 100. That is double the number of Brazilian Ronaldo over a similar timeframe.
There is no doubt Yamal has the potential to be a great, but whether he has the longevity will be the key factor in where he ends up being viewed in his career.
Certainly, his rise in the last few years has been nothing short of meteoric. Born in Esplugues de Llobregat, a suburb of Barcelona to a Moroccan father and an Equatoguinean mother, he joined Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at the age of seven, immediately standing out for his skill, creativity and composure.
At La Masia, Yamal quickly rose through the ranks, regularly playing in older age groups. His left foot, dribbling flair and vision drew comparisons with some of the club’s greats when he was barely a teenager.
It was not just his technical ability, but also his maturity and football intelligence. By the 2022/23 season, aged just 15, he was already training with the senior squad under then-coach Xavi Hernández.
His official debut for the first team came in April 2023 in a LaLiga match against Real Betis, where he became the youngest player ever to appear for Barcelona in the league at just 15 years and 290 days old.
The 2023/24 season saw Yamal integrated into the first team where he played a pivotal role as a wide forward, both scoring and creating goals, all the while still at school and taking classes.
In doing so, he broke multiple records, including becoming the youngest player to score and assist in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League for Barcelona.
His rise extended to the international stage. Eligible for Morocco and Equatorial Guinea, he chose to represent Spain and made his debut in 2023 against Georgia, scoring in a 7–1 win and becoming Spain’s youngest ever debutant and goalscorer at just 16 years and 57 days.
That continued last season with 22 goals and 25 assists for club and country in 61 starts, a total of 47 goal contributions.
To have achieved that as a then 17-year-old is remarkable. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes Yamal is a “genius”, but has also added his caution that talent alone is not enough.
“Yes, he’s a genius. He’s only 17 (at the time), and we have to help him. I hope he wants us to help him too, that we can take care of him, because he’s very young and everything seems so easy right now, but it isn’t,” Flick said.
“If you want to play at the highest level for the next 15 years, you have to train very well and be very mentally strong. Lamine is smart and intelligent; it’s good that he enjoys all this, but you also have to work and work. Talented players have to work too.”
Former Barça legend Andrés Iniesta knows a thing or two about great players and he has no doubt Yamal can be the real deal.
“It’s fantastic news for Barça fans that he can be there. I hope he can maintain that level and continue to improve year after year because he truly is a unique talent. I hope he can bring Barça a lot of joy,” Iniesta said.
Even his fellow professionals, such as Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer, recognise the greatness.
“I think he’s the best player in the world at the moment. Everything he does on the pitch… just watching him play gives you that special feeling,” Palmer said.
“It’s not just his technique, it’s also his mindset. He’s got unbelievable confidence and he’s not afraid to take risks, even though he’s only 17 [at the time].”
And a final word from the great Zinedine Zidane, a Real Madrid legend who must feel only pain watching their bitter rivals enjoy this special talent.
“When I watched the second half against Inter in the (Champions League) semi-finals, I had never seen anything like it,” Zidane said.
“It’s incredible to see someone master their craft like that on the field. It was truly fabulous.”
