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Yamal has become the fulcrum of a thriving Barcelona attack. The 17-year-old has represented the Catalonian side on 114 occasions, scoring 25 goals and dishing out 34 assists.
Ronaldinho wishes for Yamal to ultimately etch himself into the pantheon of greats such as Messi and himself (AFP)
Superlatives continue to fail to capture the sheer magic and brilliance of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who, at 17 years of age, continues to etch his name into football history with every passing day — whose genius hasn’t gone unnoticed even by the likes of Ronaldinho.
The Barcelona and Brazil legend recently expressed his elation over Yamal’s rise to the upper echelons of football, stating that he hopes the Spanish wonderkid can achieve greatness much like Lionel Messi and himself.
The 17-year-old star has become a key figure on the right flank, where Barca’s all-time top goalscorer Messi operated for many years, with both players coming through their La Masia youth academy.
Yamal marked his Barca debut two years ago on April 29, 2023. The young winger played his first minutes that day in La Liga against Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou aged 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, making him the youngest debutant for the club.
With a La Liga title already in the bag, Ronaldinho expressed his desire to see Yamal carry on the legacy of greats such as Messi and himself, and etch his own along the way.
“Messi and I have already made history, now it’s Lamine Yamal’s turn. What he’s shown so far, at such a young age and with so much talent, is extraordinary. I like watching players like him; they’re good for football. I hope he can have a career like ours,” said Ronaldinho to Spanish news outlet Marca.
Yamal has become the fulcrum of a thriving Barcelona attack. The 17-year-old has represented the Catalonian side on 114 occasions, scoring 25 goals and dishing out 34 assists.
His season tally currently stands at 18 goals and 25 assists: contributions which helped him lead Barca to a historic domestic treble.
Although comparisons naturally arise when a player of his potential bursts onto the scene, Ronaldinho believes every player is unique and hopes Yamal continues to grow.
“I’ve never liked those kinds of comparisons because every footballer has his own unique style of play. The important thing is that Lamine Yamal brings joy to the people, like I did in my time, or like Messi did later. I hope he continues the potential he’s shown to date,” he added.
Yamal, though, previously cleared the air around such comparisons, calling the Argentine forward the greatest player of all time.
“I admire him obviously, as the best player in history, but I don’t compare myself to him,” he reiterated.
“So I don’t think the comparison makes sense, with Messi even less — I’m going to enjoy myself, and be myself.”
One can rest assured that Barcelona would wish for nothing else but the same: for Yamal to be Yamal.
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