Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is impressed by Barcelona’s young sensation, Lamine Yamal. However, he does not like the comparisons being made between the teenager and Argentine legend Lionel Messi. According to Guardiola, Yamal should be given time to build his own career.
Yamal grew up in Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy—the same place where Messi developed into one of football’s all-time greats. At just 15 years old, Yamal earned a spot in Barcelona’s first team, becoming the youngest player in the club’s long history to make a senior appearance at 15 years and 290 days. Only four players have featured in Spain’s top league at a younger age than him.
Since then, Yamal has been on a remarkable rise. With several standout performances, he has already etched his name in many record books. Wearing the Barcelona jersey, he has won multiple trophies including La Liga titles, and with Spain, he has experienced the joy of winning the European Championship.
Yamal’s magical performances on the pitch have led to comparisons with Messi, a player who has won nearly every trophy in the sport. But Guardiola is clear—these comparisons don’t sit well with him. He believes it will take 15 years of playing to truly judge how good Yamal is.
“I think we should let Lamine Yamal build his career. When he has played for 15 years, then we can say whether he is good or bad. Let him develop his career now.”
“And being compared to Messi, that is a big thing. Like if a painter is compared to Picasso, everyone would say wow, that’s not bad, it’s a sign of greatness. That comparison shows he is on the right path. But we must let him build his career first. Then we will see what happens.”
Although Yamal is only 18, Guardiola doesn’t underestimate him. In his eyes, Yamal is a very talented player for Barcelona, but Messi remains in a league of his own.
“Scoring 90 goals in a season, playing 15 years without any breaks or injuries—this is huge…”