The atmosphere was light-hearted, but one moment in particular has since taken on greater significance. During the show, a member of the audience was handed the microphone and posed a provocative question to the Espanyol winger, asking him who he would rather "step on" between Joan Garcia and Lamine Yamal. After pausing briefly, Milla delivered his response, which was met with laughter and applause inside the studio. "I think Lamine," he said.
A troubling report has shed light on the scale of abuse faced by Lamine Yamal, highlighting the darker side of fame that now follows one of Barcelona's brightest stars. It is said that the teenage forward accounted for 6% of all hate messages linked to sport on social media during the month of November. The data comes from the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe) (h/t AS), which monitors racist and xenophobic behaviour online.
Following a heavy challenge by Renato Veiga that resulted in a straight red card, Yamal became the clear target of the home supporters. In fact, sections of the Villarreal crowd felt the Barcelona youngster had exaggerated the contact. Whether fair or not, the verdict from the stands was immediate. Every touch from Barça's number 10 was met with loud whistles and constant jeers.
For Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, the Estadio de la Ceramica is one of those places where he has always been at his best. For Barcelona's number 10, it has become a familiar theatre, one where he has repeatedly turned promise into performance. This Sunday, Barcelona return to Villarreal, and memories from recent visits inevitably point in one direction. Yamal's first official appearance at La Ceramica came in August 2023, in a chaotic and unforgettable 4-3 win.
Football's next global showcase now has a date and venue. The Finalissima between Spain and Argentina will take place on March 27, 2026, in Doha, Qatar, setting up a highly anticipated meeting between Barcelona rising star Lamine Yamal and legend Lionel Messi. The match will bring together the reigning European champions and Copa America holders, continuing the tradition revived in 2022 when Argentina defeated Italy at Wembley. This edition, however, carries a generational storyline that has captured Barcelona fans' attention worldwide.
Pau Cubarsi's ascent to prominence and integration as a regular in Barcelona's plans has gone somewhat under the radar because of Lamine Yamal's concurrent meteoric rise to superstardom. Despite being barely months older than his teammate, Cubarsi has not quite seen the same level of fame as Yamal has, and a lot has to do with the position he plays in. Yet, it is quite widely accepted and understood that the teenager is now the pillar of Barcelona's defence and his numbers only prove the same.
To be specific, Pedri has approached this landmark at the age of 23 years and 18 days, making him the youngest ever Barcelona player to play in 150 league matches for the club. Pedri overtakes Messi but can the record last? By doing so, Pedri has now overtaken the legendary Lionel Messi, who previously held the record of being the youngest player to achieve the feat. Messi had made his 150th La Liga appearance against Real Zaragoza back in 2010.
With the assist, as per Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona's number 10 reached an astonishing 14 goal contributions in the competition for players of 18-year-old or under, split evenly between seven goals and seven assists. This achievement makes him the most productive player in Champions League history since the tournament adopted its modern format in 1992. The figure surpasses Kylian Mbappe's long-standing record of 13 contributions, placing Yamal at the top of a list that features legendary names.
However, the Brazilian legend has no doubts that Lamine would have dribbled past him if the two had ever crossed paths on a football pitch. "[He's] Great. It would be a problem for me. Until my last day as a footballer, I never found a winger who was worse than me. They were always very fast... Lamine would have definitely dribbled past me," said Marcelo.
"I think that Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time, but he also knows that I'm a good player. There will be mutual respect if we play against each other." "He knows that I'm not trying to be him, to play like him, or wear the #10 like him. I want to be my own," he added. Speaking on how the Argentine was one of his role models, he said, "As a kid, I used to study Messi's passes. Other players made good passes, but Messi's passes were pretty much goals."
