March 10, 2007, was the day 19-year-old Lionel Messi properly announced himself to the world.
He did so by scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against fierce rivals Real Madrid or as this tie is more commonly called, El Clasico. In that thrilling match, Los Blancos took the lead three times, only for you-know-who to peg his side back all three times.
Any football fan worth his salt knows that there are some eureka moments in this beautiful game. Although they are rare, nevertheless, they most definitely occur. One such eureka moment was Messi’s stellar performance against Real Madrid on March 10, 2007. You could just feel it in the air that this teenager is destined to reach the very zenith of football.
The prophecy was fulfilled. Fast forward to almost two decades later and the Argentine has cemented his status as one of the greatest players the beautiful game has witnessed. Many are even confident that he’s the greatest footballer of all time but that’s a debate for another day.
Fate loves irony. Messi’s legend began with him scoring a hat-trick against Real Madrid and as of today, he is the player with the most goals in the El Clasico fixture (26 goals).
Aside from being the top scorer in El Clasico, here are some other accomplishments that have made the Argentine a legend in football:
- Most Ballon d’Or awards (8). Messi has three more than his fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo (5).
- Most trophies won by a player (46 trophies).
- Most goals scored in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).
- All-time leading goal scorer in La Liga (474 goals).
- Most hat-tricks in La Liga (35).
- Most assists in La Liga (192).
For a player to achieve even one of these feats is nothing short of extraordinary. Another testament to the Argentine’s legend is the sheer number of these types of records he has at both individual and team levels.
The more things things change, the more they remain the same. Another eureka moment happened over the course of the Euro 2024 tournament. This happened in the Spanish national team and was particularly prominent during their semi-final clash with 2018 World Cup winners France which the former won 2-1.
This eureka moment was none other than the meteoric rise of the 17-year-old Spanish and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. He had been very impressive for La Roja leading up to the semi-final clash against Kylian Mbappe’s France.
The winger scored Spain’s first goal of the match which was a curling shot from outside the 18-yard box. The goal was also an equalizer after Les Bleus had taken the lead. There are some things you can’t just explain. Any perceptive person who saw that goal could immediately tell that Lamine Yamal is destined to reach the very top of football. It has been written in the stars.
La Roja went on to win the Euro 2024 tournament by defeating England 2-1 in the final. It came as no surprise to anyone that Lamine Yamal won the award for best young player in this competition. He ended up with 1 goal and 4 assists over the course of 7 matches.
Aside from this, on an individual level, the Barcelona player also achieved other amazing feats at this tournament such as:
- His goal against France was awarded as the goal of the tournament.
- Youngest EURO Player: 16 years 338 days, in Spain’s 3-0 win against Croatia
- Youngest EURO Scorer: 16 years 362 days, in Spain’s 2-1 semi-final win against France
- Youngest Player in EURO Final: 17 years 1 day
Lamine Yamal has not rested on his laurels and has carried on his impressive form into the 2024/25 season. The 17-year-old has 4 goals and 6 assists in 10 matches so far this season and his performance has been instrumental in Barcelona currently being top of the La Liga table.
Lamine Yamal is already Barcelona royalty. Despite being just 17 years old and playing less than 2 seasons with the Blaugrana, this fact can’t be disputed. At this point, it is inevitable that many people will draw comparisons between the number 19 and Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s ultimate royalty.
The main reason for this analysis is the fact that the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner was not as skilled as Lamine Yamal when he was 17 years old. Taking this into consideration, one can help but wonder just how far the winger is going to reach in his career.
Many believe one of the main contributors to Lamine Yamal’s prowess is the fact that he was baptized by none other than Lionel Messi when he was a baby. Mounir Nasraoui, the winger’s father sees it another way though. He believes that during the baptism, it was his son who blessed Messi rather than the other way around. Mounir Nasraoui is quoted as saying, “There are coincidences in life. Blessing from Leo to Lamine? or from Lamine to Leo. Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Messi. For me, my son is the best.”
Lamine Yamal is undoubtedly a young prodigy. At just 16 years old, he has already showcased a level of skill and maturity that betrays his age. With a strong support system in Barcelona and the Spanish national team, he has the potential to reach extraordinary heights.
While it’s unrealistic to expect him to replicate Messi’s exact trajectory, Yamal possesses the raw talent and determination to create his own legacy. Records are made to be broken, and if he continues to work diligently, there’s no reason why he can’t challenge and potentially surpass the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner.