"Has to take everything great that Messi has done" - National team boss provides honest response when asked if Lamine Yamal can emulate Lionel Messi

Spain national team manager Luis de la Fuente has provided his response when he was asked whether Lamine Yamal can emulate Lionel Messi. The Barcelona wonderkid is regarded as one of the brightest talents in world football and has been likened to club legend Messi.

Aged only 18, Lamine Yamal has already established himself as a key player for both Barcelona and Spain. He has been instrumental in helping the La Liga giants win four trophies and also helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024.

Spain will take on South American and world champions Argentina in the Finalissima, formerly known as European /South American Nations Cup next year. Lamine Yamal would face off against Lionel Messi for the first time in his career in that game.

Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente has opened up on the comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi. He said, as quoted by Spanish outlet AS:

"He has a big mirror in front of him to look into. He has to embrace all the great things Messi has done. I hope we can enjoy Lamine in the same way we enjoyed Messi."

Lionel Messi etched his name as one of the greatest players of all time if not the best of all time. The Argentine superstar is the most decorated player ever and also boasts eight Ballon d'Ors, which is also a record.

Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal is still very much in the early stages of his career and is arguably even better than Messi was at his age. However, we will have to wait and see whether he can emulate the former Barcelona maestro and become one of the best of all time.

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Emmanuel Petit draws comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi but advises the Barcelona youngster to work on his mentality

Former Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged Lamine Yamal to work on his mentality. He has compared the 18-year-old to Lionel Messi but urged him not to become arrogant.

Yamal has the world at his feet at a very young age having already won major trophies with both Barcelona and Spain. Petit has admitted that the youngster reminds him of Lionel Messi on the right wing. He said, as quoted by AS:

"He reminds me of Messi on the right wing. Every time he touches the ball, you can see he's creating danger. He usually draws two or even three opponents into his area, which opens up space for his teammates. That's why Barça is so dangerous. With Raphinha and a great midfield, the threat can come from anywhere. I've seen many teams try to defend by putting two or three players against Yamal, and it doesn't work."

The World Cup winner with France in 1998 added:

"At his age, he's a phenomenon. If he maintains this level, he'll win the Ballon d'Or. And he knows he has to repeat that, both at Barça and with the Spanish national team. The World Cup is coming up at the end of the season, another big goal for him. But to truly establish himself, he needs to win the Champions League. His qualities—technique, vision, power, intelligence in his movements—are unique. The only thing he needs to improve is his mentality."

Petit urged Yamal to learn from Kylian Mbappe and stay away from controversies away from the football pitch. He concluded:

"Right now, everything is going well for him. But if something negative happens, there will be plenty waiting to bring him down. We'll see how he reacts. It's similar to Mbappé: for years everything was green, then suddenly everything collapsed and he wasn't the same on the pitch. Yamal needs to be careful with his communication and social media management. Sometimes a touch of arrogance comes across. In the past, great footballers tended to be quite shy. Some were arrogant, yes, but they backed it up with their play. The problem arises when the results aren't there. He's still very young, and his brilliance is due in part to pure talent; maturity will come. The player who's on the pitch should help him grow off it as well."

Yamal has made 108 appearances for Barcelona till date, contributing with 26 goals and 37 assists. He has kicked off the new season in a stellar manner scoring once and produccing three assists in two games.