Lamine Yamal is not one to shy away from being compared to the great Lionel Messi.
Lamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, impressed for Barcelona last season but caught the eye of a global audience at Euro 2024 by playing a key role as Spain won the tournament for a record fourth time with a 2-1 victory over England.
“Lamine, what number do you want this season?”
LY: “19” 👉 pic.twitter.com/wEcFASoNhv
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) July 17, 2024
The youngster wore Spain's number 19 shirt in Germany and has opted to wear it for the rest of the 2024-25 season at the Blaugrana.
He follows in the footsteps of some famous players who have worn the shirt before, including Messi.
The Argentinian captain played with 19 on his back from 2005 to 2008 before taking the number 10 shirt which he continues to wear which is prominent in the team and the country.
Indeed, it was during his time as Barca's number 19 that Messi continued the now famous image of Lamal as a child.
Yes, that's six-month-old Lamine Yamal with 20-year-old Lionel Messi in a photo shoot at Camp Nou.
At least now we know where the witch gets her powers 😉🐐#ESFFRA #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/ZpHVlElUBO
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) July 9, 2024
The pair could meet again next summer in the Finalissima – a meeting between European champions Spain and Argentina, who beat Colombia to claim the Copa America title on Sunday night.
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