Olaleye Idowu
Former Real Madrid coach, Fabio Capello, has weighed in on the comparison of Lamine Yamal with Lionel Messi.
Pundits and fans of football have likened the 17-year-old Spain international to the legendary Argentine since his breakthrough last season.
Some similarities abound with both players rising from the ranks of Barca’s famed youth academy, La Masia.
The Euro 2024 winner played his first senior team game for Barcelona in a LaLiga match in April 2023 and soon rose to become one of the most promising young footballers in recent times.
The youngster is also a right winger with a steady left foot like Lionel Messi, making the comparisons more prominent.
His exceptional impact on gameplay, immaculate ball control, and dribbling skills have also led pundits and fans to this opinion.
He has already played 86 games for Barcelona, contributing 18 goals and 23 assists.
Capello, who spoke in an interview with MARCA, weighed in on Lamine Yamal’s frequent comparisons with Lionel Messi.
The Italian tactician said, “He’s a kid who is doing important things. When he started at Barcelona, it was said that he was the new Messi. He doesn’t reach that level. He’s an extraordinary, spectacular, top player, but he doesn’t have Messi’s genius.”
He may not attend Messi’s level in football, however, at a young age, the Spain international has created history for his boyhood side.
Yamal ranked eighth in the coveted Ballon d’Or rankings and also won the Golden Boy and the Kopa Trophy.
