'yamal Turns 18 And Takes Centre Stage At Barcelona'

"Comparisons are odious," wrote Cervantes successful Don Quijote. Nowhere is that much existent than successful shot - a world fuelled by statistics, noise, and nan endless impulse to crown nan adjacent Lionel Messi.

Lamine Yamal has heard it each before.

When nan mobility came - again - he didn't bite.

"I don't comparison myself pinch him," he said. "I don't want to comparison myself pinch anyone, and moreover little pinch Messi. That's thing I time off to you.

"He is nan champion subordinate successful football's history. I americium making my ain way."

So, what are we doing talking astir Messi successful a Lamine Yamal piece? It is conscionable to create immoderate context, because location are immoderate stunning statistics.

Yamal turns 18 connected Sunday by which clip he will person played 106 first-team games - 73 successful La Liga, 23 successful Europe, six successful nan Copa del Rey and 4 others.

By nan clip Messi turned 18, contempt having go - astatine 17 years, 3 months and 22 days - nan youngest subordinate to correspond Barcelona successful an charismatic competition, he had played 9 first-team games for nan club.

It's astir apt safe to presume that arsenic agelong arsenic he keeps scoring, creating and winning games and titles for some nine and country, Yamal won't beryllium that bothered what number he is carrying connected nan backmost of his shirt.

Not that, of course, this has stopped him having a spot of nosy connected societal media complete nan speculation that this play he will beryllium wearing Barcelona's iconic number 10.

He has posted pictures of himself 1 time pinch nan number 19 jersey he presently wears - arsenic a young Messi besides did - followed by a homage to immoderate erstwhile wearers of nan 10.

The names publication for illustration a who's who of footballing royalty. Messi, of course, Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Juan Roman Riquelme, Pep Guardiola and Laszlo Kubala.

Speculation astir Barcelona's number 10 garment has followed him for months.

Out of respect, he did not entertain conversations astir it while Ansu Fati, nan erstwhile wearer, was still astatine nan club, but he has since moved to Monaco.

Barcelona person not announced thing officially though location has been a melodramatic surge successful income of said shirt.

Yamal is wondering what to do. Take nan weight of nan 10? Or support 19 1 much play - possibly until he turns 19?

There are a number of errors and misconceptions astir nan player, not slightest nan truth that contempt being discussed and written astir endlessly, nan mostly of nan media and fans proceed to get his sanction wrong.

His afloat sanction is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana-Nasraoui. Like truthful galore players successful La Liga - deliberation Xavi, Pedri, Joselu etc - he identifies connected nan transportation by his first sanction which is not conscionable Lamine, nor is it conscionable Yamal, it is Lamine Yamal.

He was named aft 2 men, Lamine and Yamal, who helped his parents (Equatorial Guinean Sheila Ebana and Moroccan Mounir Nasraoui) salary rent during a financially difficult play earlier his birth.

By measurement of thanks, they made bully connected nan committedness to sanction their boy successful their honour.

Much has been made of nan forward's holidays, his off-pitch life, and nan perceived consequence of distraction. Apparently he is simply a teen that enjoys himself. Go figure!

More worrying is nan quiet implications of that accusation. The reality is acold little dramatic. He goes out, for illustration astir 17-year-olds, particularly during holidays.

He is very adjacent to his family and enjoys clip pinch friends (he visited Neymar successful Brazil). He's a healthy, responsible teenager. He is teetotal and a practising Muslim who has spoken openly astir his observance of Ramadan.

And while location aren't photos of him training during summertime mornings, that's mostly because there's nary nationalist access. Behind nan scenes, nan activity is still happening. He enjoys himself, location are less rules and obligations than during nan season, but he doesn't move off. There is balance.

He is presently successful China moving pinch Adidas. Yes, that is nan benignant of activity a footballer has to do.

The statistic are remarkable, particularly erstwhile you see his age. And they support improving.

Since making his debut, he has won 2 La Liga titles, though he featured conscionable erstwhile during Barcelona's 2022–23 title-winning campaign. Since then, he has missed only 4 convention games crossed nan past 2 seasons. He has besides lifted nan Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. On nan world stage, he has already won nan European Championship pinch Spain.

He wants everything: to lead, to score, to win. But there's a calmness to his ambition. He doesn't conscionable dream of being better, he useful astatine it.

Crucially, he knows he's not location yet. That equilibrium betwixt assurance and humility is what allows him to play pinch specified freedom, arsenic if still successful nan schoolyard.

It each originates astatine home. His parents, often discussed publically but seldom understood, play a important domiciled successful keeping his feet connected nan ground. His begetter is firm, tells it arsenic it is, and is enjoying his son's occurrence very publically - possibly excessively exposed astatine nan nationalist judgement.

His mother and grandma connection a different benignant of spot - consistent, loving, and profoundly rooted successful values. They are nan quiet unit that underpins everything.

That's really he appears not a teen overwhelmed, but a boy enjoying nan game. It's not down to ignorance of pressure. It's a mindset, 1 that believes nan champion is still to come, and if it doesn't arrive, he'll support chasing it.

Before nan Champions League last he said: "At my age, fewer person played arsenic galore games for a nine for illustration Barca, and that's what I worth most. Playing astatine this level and for a nine for illustration Barca isn't thing that anyone tin do."

When asked astir nan unit aliases fearfulness of nonaccomplishment progressive pinch playing astatine nan apical level, he said: "I near that fearfulness down connected nan transportation successful Mataro a while ago."

He was referring to his aged transportation successful nan territory of Rocafonda, wherever he played arsenic a kid pinch others three, 4 and much years older.

His ceremony is simply a tribute to wherever he comes from - a densely populated, working-class neighbourhood successful Mataro, known for its multicultural community, societal challenges, and beardown consciousness of section identity. The 3 past numbers of nan postcode is nan style of his fingers erstwhile he scores, 304.

His betterment past play was astonishing.

He went from 7 goals and 9 assists successful 23-24 to 18 goals and 25 assists past campaign.

Easy to understand truthful why nan boy from Rocafonda has had his statement precocious renewed until 2031 pinch a reported guidelines costs of 15m euro (£12.9m) per season, rising to 20m euro pinch performance-related bonuses positive a buyout clause group astatine a jaw-dropping 1bn euro, a fig intelligibly put successful spot to repel imaginable suitors.

But he would beryllium nan first to admit he is still a activity successful progress, that nan champion is still to come. He still needs to attraction much connected honing that slayer small heart connected goal

It's worthy remembering that 2 of Yamal's biggest moments successful 2025 - against Inter successful nan semi-finals of nan Champions League and nan Nations League last against Portugal - some ended successful defeat.

Those adjacent to him wanted to spot his guidance arsenic everything to that constituent had gone successful an upwards trajectory.

Barcelona's melodramatic exit was achy for immoderate player, much truthful for a 17-year-old. But his consequence was revealing. He was visibly hurt, yes, but erstwhile backmost successful nan dressing room, his mindset shifted quickly.

He started reasoning astir what was still near to win. The league, nan cup. And nan knowledge that nan Champions League would travel astir again adjacent year. That small heart - to refocus, to move guardant - says everything astir him.

One Barcelona executive remarked recently: "He's conscionable a kid - moreover if you hide that because of really he behaves connected nan pitch."

Off nan pitch? You spot nan teen much often.

Spain team-mate Dani Olmo erstwhile described nan nationalist squad situation arsenic a "schoolyard" ambiance - each jokes, energy, and youthful confidence.

It's an situation wherever Yamal thrives. He gets on pinch everyone (that is why he is nan squad DJ), brings mischief without overstepping, and knows erstwhile to propulsion back.

Maybe he learned from nan guidance successful nan group when, playing pinch Barcelona's under-18s, he wore a Morocco garment nan time aft Spain was knocked retired of nan World Cup by his dad's nation.

In fact, nan Spanish federation had to conflict pinch nan family and pinch nan Morocco federation to support him pinch Spain. Lamine doubted but yet it was his determination to stay pinch La Roja.

His narration pinch caller Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has been smooth. He whitethorn beryllium cheeky, but he's ever respectful. One team-mate simply calls him "a character".

His soul circle occasionally wishes he'd expose himself to nan spotlight a small less. Yet almost everyone agrees connected 1 thing: he has nan courageousness and characteristic to grip it.

That, much than nan dribbles, much than nan comparisons, is what makes Yamal unique. Not conscionable that he plays for illustration he's still successful nan schoolyard, but that moreover arsenic nan world originates to crown him, that's still wherever he feels astir astatine home.

But that hostility - betwixt who he is and what he projects - runs done his full story. At times, he reminds you of his age. After 1 match, erstwhile asked astir disapproval of his attitude, he responded: "As agelong arsenic I'm winning, they can't opportunity anything." A defiant moment, perhaps, but besides an honorable one.

Yamal is simply a subordinate successful changeless evolution. Not satisfied pinch what he already has, he's motivated by what he doesn't. His eyes are firmly connected nan future: much goals, much strength, much consistency.

But he isn't trying to bypass nan process. He knows there's much to learn.

With a World Cup astir nan corner, it is small wonderment fans astir nan globe are licking their lips astatine nan imaginable of watching Yamal again this season.