“He knows Messi is beneath him”, “That is photo shop” - Fans react after spotting Lionel Messi detail from Lamine Yamal on Barcelona bench

Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal has sent fans into overdrive after displaying Lionel Messi's name on his shoes. It happened during the Catalans' LaLiga game against Las Palmas on Saturday, November 30, at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

The Spanish forward started the game on the bench, as he had just recovered from an injury. One eagle-eyed fan spotted that the 17-year-old had 'Messi' written on his shoes, and shared the same on social media, posting:

"'Messi' is written underneath the shoes of Lamine Yamal."

Barcelona fans soon took to social media to express their opinion on the matter. One insisted that Yamal is better than Lionel Messi:

"He knows Messi is beneath him"

Another added:

"No way. hahaa"

One fan labeled the teenager as the best player in the world right now, posting:

"Lamine yamal the best player right now"

Another insisted that the image was morphed, commenting:

"That is photo shop."

One fan insisted that Lamine Yamal did it on purpose, stating:

"Lamine Yamal showed it on purpose"

Another quipped:

"He did that on purpose"

Another dismissed it off as PR, posting:

"That's why he's placing his legs on the bench for media to see. We can't beat this PR bro."

Las Palmas took the lead in the 49th minute through Sandro Ramirez, prompting Hansi Flick to bring on the 17-year-old in the 57th minute. Barcelona were level four minutes later as Raphinha found the back of the net. However, Las Palmas went ahead again in the 67th minute via Fabio Silva and ultimately won the game 2-1.

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Was Lionel Messi present at Barcelona's 125th anniversary celebration?

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was not present at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on Friday, November 29, at Barcelona's 125th Anniversary celebrations. The Catalans celebrated the occasion with grand pomp and show and invited a lot of their former players to the event.

The Argentinean was expected to be a part of the gala as well, but couldn't make it due to prior commitments. However, the 37-year-old did send a message to the LaLiga giants on social media.

Lionel Messi spent 17 seasons at Camp Nou, registering a club-record 672 goals and 303 assists from 778 games. He won a club record 34 trophies with Barcelona but left in the summer of 2021 after the club failed to extend his contract. The Argentinean joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), spent two seasons in Ligue 1, and moved to MLS side Inter Miami in 2023.