Lionel Messi has named Lamine Yamal as his natural successor, even as the 18-year-old Barcelona forward deals with a hamstring injury that has temporarily halted his momentum. Messi made the comments this week at an Adidas event, saying that if he had to pick one player because of age, what he has done so far and what he may do in the future, it would be Yamal.
“There is a new generation of footballers who are very good and who have many years ahead of them, but if I have to choose one because of age, for what he has done so far and for the future he may have, he is Lamine. There’s no doubt, for me he’s the best,” Messi said. The endorsement carries weight because Yamal has already inherited the Barcelona No. 10 shirt Messi once wore and finished second in the Ballon d’Or rankings last season.
Yamal’s rise has been fast enough to make him one of the most closely watched young players in Europe. He proved himself on the international stage during Euro 2024 and is now on course to win his third La Liga title this season. That progress has made the timing of his injury especially sensitive, with Barcelona’s medical staff working to ensure he is fully ready for Spain’s World Cup campaign in June.
The hamstring problem is not expected to change the bigger picture around Yamal, but it has interrupted a run that had turned him into one of the sport’s most dangerous attackers. Barcelona are pushing for more trophies while he recovers, and the club’s plans now have to balance short-term results with the longer view of getting their most valuable young player fit for the World Cup in June.
Messi’s praise effectively places Yamal at the center of football’s next era, but the next test is simpler and less glamorous: getting healthy. If Barcelona’s medical staff can keep him on track, Yamal heads into a summer that could confirm the belief Messi has already put into words.
