"There is a new generation of players performing very well, but if I had to choose one, considering his age and future potential, it would be Yamal. For me, without a doubt, he is the best. He reminds me of myself when I was young," the Inter Miami captain responded when asked which current young talent reminded him most of his younger self.

Messi is known for his reserved nature and rarely publicly compares young players to himself. Therefore, the Argentine forward's latest statement carries significant weight, given his own standing and the high expectations for Yamal, a talent who is only 18 years old.

29/4 marked three years since Yamal officially debuted for Barca's first team under former coach Xavi Hernandez. Since then, the talent born in 2007 has continuously broken every record for precocious development for both the Camp Nou club and the Spanish national team.

To date, Yamal holds a series of age-related records: the youngest player to debut and score in La Liga, the youngest player to start in the Champions League, the youngest player to score in an El Clasico match, and the youngest player in Barca's history to reach 50 and 100 official appearances.

At the national team level, Yamal also rewrote history by becoming the youngest player to debut and score for the Spanish national team. He was a key player in helping the team win Euro 2024, despite being one of the tournament's youngest members.

Yamal (right), despite being injured, was present at Barca's La Liga 2025-2026 championship celebration. Photo: EFE

Recently, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo published a notable comparison of Yamal's development with Messi's own. At the same age as Yamal, Messi had only 1,954 minutes played for Barca and the Argentine national team, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists. Within the first three years since his debut for the Catalan club, Messi accumulated 6,612 minutes across 102 matches. In contrast, Yamal currently has 12,928 minutes played over 176 matches for his club and national team, with 57 goals and 55 assists.

Currently, no player born in 2004 or later can rival Yamal in terms of competitive experience over the past three years. The closest pursuer is PSG midfielder Joao Neves, with 12,394 minutes across 172 matches, including his time at Benfica and the Portuguese national team. He is followed by: Warren Zaire-Emery, also of PSG, with 11,206 minutes over 164 matches; Pau Cubarsi of Barca, with 10,443 minutes over 136 matches; and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, with 9,981 minutes over 156 matches.

Messi, at 20 years old, bathed Lamine Yamal, then 6 months old, during a photoshoot at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain on 31/10/2007. Photo: AP

If players born in 2003 are included, only one surpasses the statistics of the La Masia academy talent, but by a narrow margin. That is Florian Wirtz of Liverpool, who just turned 23 on 3/5. Over the past three years, Wirtz has accumulated 12,988 minutes, just 80 minutes more than Yamal despite playing 180 matches. However, the German star also cannot surpass Yamal in attacking efficiency, with only 51 goals and 50 assists.

While no one can fully replicate Messi's career, the heartfelt words of the 38-year-old legend confirm that, in his eyes, Yamal possesses a special "DNA." This is a rare combination of innate talent, a killer instinct, and rich imagination.

Ha Phuong (according to Mundo Deportivo)