Barcelona president Joan Laporta drew a parallel between promising winger Lamine Yamal and legendary Lionel Messi in an interview with COPE.
Laporta called Yamal a genius and a role model for the first team, while emphasizing that Messi remains an unmatched player who dedicated his best years to the club and became its symbol.
Currently, 18-year-old Yamal showcases impressive stats: this season, he has played 36 matches across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists.
Messi represented the first team from 2005 to 2021, scoring 672 goals and delivering 303 assists, becoming the enduring emblem of Barcelona.
Laporta's words highlight that Barcelona sees in Yamal the potential to eventually fill the huge gap left by Messi and continue the club's success at the highest level.