Lamine Yamal swerves comparisons: 'I don't want to be Lionel Messi'

"I respect him, in the end for what's he's been, for what he is to football, and if we ever meet on a pitch, there will be that mutual respect because we are players and because, for me, he's the best in history. He also knows I am a player and I respect him, so it's mutual respect. We both know I don't want to be Messi and Messi knows I don't want to be him. I want to follow my path and that's it. I don't have the intention of playing like him or wearing the No.10 that Messi wore or anything like that."

"The strange thing is as a little kid I didn't dribble much, I scored a lot, I ran a lot, but above all I always had a good vision of the game."

"I scored a lot, I ran a lot, but above all I always had a good vision of the game. As a kid, focusing on Messi maybe, I noticed he made different passes."

Lamine Yamal rejects comparisons to Lionel Messi and intends to follow his own path rather than emulate Messi or adopt his iconic No.10. He expresses mutual respect with Messi and describes Messi as the best in history while emphasizing his own identity. Yamal inherited Barcelona's No.10 shirt this summer but stresses individuality. He highlights passing and vision as primary strengths, noting a childhood tendency to score and run more than to dribble. His assist for Dani Olmo in the 3-1 LaLiga win over Alavés showcased his creative passing and helped Barcelona reach the top of the table.

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