Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Since I started watching football I've seen the likes of Mbappe,Rashford, Foden and even the widely acclaimed GOAT, Messi, come up through the ranks but I dare to say none of them were as good as Yamal is at 17.
You're probably swearing at your screen cursing me out rn lol....Relax! I have a strong argument to back my claim
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Let’s just say it straight Lamine Yamal isn’t just good for his age. He’s good, period. At 17, he's not just holding his own on the world stage, he's bending it to his will like a teenage conductor with a magic wand.
And no, this isn’t hype or favoritism..hell! I'm not even a Barca fan. I'm a Manchester United fan from birth who also supports our brother club Real Madrid who happens to be their biggest rivals.
So you see? there's zero bias on my side. I'm just a honest football fan 😆
Now, let’s talk about the ghost in every greatness debate, Lionel Messi. The prodigy of Rosario. At 17, Messi was dazzling for Barcelona with that iconic mop of hair and low center of gravity. He was special,no doubt (you see! I'm a HONEST football fan).
But Yamal? Yamal is doing what Messi didn’t: starting for Spain, bossing UCL games like he's playing in his backyard, and looking like a leader at major tournaments before he can legally buy a drink.
Watching him play is like watching a cheat code wear boots. He dribbles like he's late for something, delivers pinpoint impossible crosses, and makes defenders look like extras in his highlight reel. You don't coach this. You just give thanks and stay out of the way.
Rival or not, you just have to appreciate GREATNESS.
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Comparisons? Let’s do it:
Who better to compare him to than the other best 17 y/o football have ever seen, Lionel Messi.
Where Messi at 17 was a whisper of promise, Yamal is a roaring declaration.
Messi at 17: Occasional starter, flashes of brilliance, was in Ronaldinho's shadows,protected like fine china.
Yamal at 17: Walked right into the Barca XI, Undroppable for both club and country, carrying weight like a veteran, and already looks like he’s been doing this for a decade. Oh and he's even getting Balon d'or shouts! At 17!!!
We’re not saying he’s better than peak Messi (relax, internet). But at seventeen? There’s no one — not Messi, not Mbappé, not even Pelé.
Tell me, who’s been this complete, this consistent, and this crucial at the top level at this young age?
And if football needed a sign from the heavens to confirm his arrival, it came early in the form of a Messi moment. There’s even a viral clip of Leo himself giving Yamal a little “baptism” lol. Here's your sign incase you're still doubting
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X
Call it recency bias if you like. I call it the Lamine Era and it's just getting started! Losing the Nations League doesn't mean shvt. I'm very sure in no time he'll take over the world just like the true GOAT, Ronaldo!😉
Image Source: @Yamal_Extra on X