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This boy is special.

We’re delighted to announce that Lamine Yamal is definitely the heir to Messi’s throne

Michael Lee •

“He will do things we cannot yet imagine,” said Ivan Carrasco, a junior football coach, told the BBC about his experience of working with Lamine Yamal.

“I remember him as a boy who was very aware of his talent,” Carrasco continued. “In sport, talented people tend to be very selfish, but not Yamal.

“I saw a generous child who did not seek recognition. As a coach you sometimes thought, ‘what can I teach him if he does things that I can’t even imagine from the bench?’

“The closer you are to Lamine, the more you realise that the label of ‘decisive’ falls short. He is a very, very special footballer.”

The world has discovered just how special this footballer can be over the past year. And how special Yamal is already.

Yamal enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, becoming an increasingly integral part of the Barcelona team, before becoming a household name at this summer’s European Championship.

His goal against France in the semi-final – you know which one – is destined to go down as one of the most special moments in the tournament’s history. Yamal scored that goal at 16. Yikes.

The entire European continent was bewitched by Yamal’s impeccable technique and fearless dribbles during Spain’s march to glory and the precious teenager has started the new season in a similar fashion.

Barcelona’s match against Athletic Bilbao was halfway through the first half when an ill-cleared free-kick found its way to Yamal on the edge of the penalty area.

Opening up his body like he was shaping to hit it first time, the 17-year-old lured the Athletic defender into closing him down. Big mistake. Yamal simply glided past him before unleashing a boomerang shot into the bottom corner of Unai Simon’s goal.

The best footballers make the game look incredibly simple – look no further than Lionel Messi for evidence of that. Yamal seems to possess the same trait on this evidence.

All while wearing braces. Can we just give him the Ballon d’Or until about 2030?

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After starring for Spain in Euro 2024, Yamal showed his class in last week’s season opener against Valencia as he assisted Robert Lewandowski’s equaliser.

The 17-year-old’s performance mesmerised everyone including the home fans at the Mestalla who applauded the youngster despite a defeat for their side.

New Barcelona boss Hansi Flick also praised the young attacker’s performances after the game while revealing he could deploy Yamal in different positions this season.

Speaking to reporters, Flick said: “He is a fantastic player. I was not surprised that he was applauded at the Mestalla. He is a great player and everyone likes a player like that. And therefore it is normal to be applauded.”

When asked about Raphinha and Yamal’s roles in the team this season, the German manager added: “They can play in several positions and at the moment it is necessary to have these solutions.”

It’s unwise to expect a 17-year-old to play every game for one of Europe’s biggest clubs, no matter how talented they might be.

But Flick already looks like he’ll need to possess the willpower of a Buddhist monk to resist the temptation of building the team around Yamal. He’s that good. Already.

By Michael Lee

Lamine Yamal Barcelona