Madrid [Spain], June 14 (ANI): Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Michel Salgado expressed that compatriot and teen sensation Lamine Yamal has “parallels” with Argentina FIFA World Cup winning legend Lionel Messi, highlighting the work put in by FC Barcelona in their early development as footballers.
Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona and Spanish superstar, will be one of the players to watch out for this tournament. Salgado feels that the star footballer has parallels with Messi, particularly in how people like to watch him play. He also pointed out that while Yamal has not won the UEFA Champions League yet, he has plenty of time to win the most prestigious prize of European football.
As per quotes published by Mundo Deportivo, as quoted by Goal.com, Salgado said on Yamal, “We are very anxious to see what Lamine we are going to have in this World Cup. It will be incredible. Messi is a player from another galaxy, but it is true that they have parallels. Lamine is one of those players that people like to watch. There are not many with that personality in a one-on-one. And I would not just say in the one-on-one, but one-on-two or one-on-three. That is something that Messi did have.”
Salgado, who had an illustrious career with Real Madrid, Barcelona’s arch-rivals, from 1999 to 2009, pointed out how Barcelona’s youth academy has contributed to their rapid rise as footballers. Yamal, being from Spain, has been able to get immersed in the academy and club’s culture even more so, and it is reflected in his resume. At the age of 18, the youngster has already won three La Liga titles, the Spanish top-flight club league, Euro 2024 for Spain and finishing as runners-up to Rodri in the battle for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in football.
“Messi arrived at 12 and Lamine even earlier,” Salgado said. “They have grown up in that Barcelona football environment, which is special. At 17 years old, what Lamine has achieved is crazy. It is true that he is missing the Champions League, but he has plenty of time to win it. He has already been able to win the European Championship and be one of the important players within it, something that is not easy,” he added.
Salgado is extremely serious about these comparisons with Messi, having witnessed the World Cup-winning legend from close quarters as a rival during his playing days. He recalled that during one of the matches with Barcelona, when Messi was a teenager, Real Madrid realised that they were facing a generational talent. The rival club’s prophecy came out to be true as Messi dominated the ‘El Clasico’ matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid, still being the chart topper with 26 goals.
“I have been lucky enough to see him (Messi) from the first moment. We discussed it in the Real Madrid dressing room as soon as we saw him in that first Clasico against us, where he scored a hat-trick,” Salgado explained.
“Then we knew he was a different player, at the level of the greats. But when I talk about the greats, I talk about Maradona, Pele… those people who have marked an era and who are above the rest,” he added.
However, despite his rapid rise to superstardom, there is physical strain on Yamal, with the 18-year-old having joined the Spain camp after a lengthy injury lay-off. He has not featured in any competitive football since April.
“Lamine has been very in demand throughout the season, both in the Champions League and in the league and in the rest of the competitions. That is clear,” Salgado concluded. “Right now, it is very difficult to tell a boy to save himself. First, because he is very young; second, because he wants to win everything; and third, because we are in a World Cup year. It is complicated to pace yourself,” he signed off. (ANI)
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