On the green grass across Europe for nearly a year, when many old feet gradually imprinted the time, a slender teenager with typical braided hair came out, and brought with him the belief that the Catalan seemed to have lost since the Messi era. That teenager was Lamine Yamal. 17 years old. A smile like early sunshine. A pair of legs is like a palm tree painted on the yard of the creative curves of the artistic football that Barcelona has once brought to the world.
It is not enough to call Yamal a genie. Hansi Flick - who only took over the Barca hot seat at the beginning of the 2024 - 2025 season, called him "a real genius". But there are even compliments that go beyond that: Barcelonas best player at the moment; the most outstanding 17-year-old talent in modern football; or Best player in the world. The words have wings, but not just words.
A "disciplinary artist"
Speaking of the artistic element, it is often associated with improvisation. But Yamal is different. Not just having skills is becoming a genius. Not just coming from La Masia comes the genetic beauty of beautiful football. What makes professionals admire Yamal is the strange combination of artist instinct and a strange sense of strategy at the age of 17.
Romeo Jozak - former technical director of the Croatian Football Federation, who contributed to nurturing the golden generation of Croatia with Luka Modric as the core - compared Yamal to "the brother of Leonardo da Vinci". I could give you the same column, same color and same paper as Da Vinci used to paint Mona Lisa, but no one could repeat that painting. Simply because he is a genius. It's an inexorable talent," he said.
But he also emphasized: Talent alone is not enough. Even geniuses need to be disciplined. If Messi had been on the bench from 8 to 18, he would never have been Messi. Yamal too! The boy has the qualities of a " congenital genius", but it is the disciplinary foundation at La Masia, the seriousness in Barcelona's positioning football philosophy, that has shaped Yamal into a "forded artist".
You see Yamal dribbling. But you will never see him doing it in the penalty area. He respects football. He created in a place to be creative, pass when he needs to pass. He did not play for himself. He did not abuse the technique to buy fun for the audience. And like Emre Utkucan - Galatasaray's scout director - described: "He plays the ball as if he is enjoying a game. You solve situations easily, hide your real intent and always go to the goal. A pure joy."
Adults' football thinking
Yamal's difference is not just his feet. What stunned experts was his ball handling mindset. Jose Boto - Technical Director of Flamengo club, who was behind the scouting system of Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk - said frankly: "Technically, I think Yamal has almost no points to improve. The rest is just stability and maintaining top form".
Yamal does not play football like a 17-year-old boy. He read the game like he had experienced hundreds of top matches. His decisions are a combination of speed, technique and thinking. Stefan Buck - Assistant coach at Frankfurt - shared that, in decades working with young players, he has never seen anyone make clear, timely and effective decisions like Yamal.
But, like every idol who step into the light too early, the question is always present: Will Yamal maintain his form? Will you overcome the ups and downs of youth and the pressures surrounding you? Horacio Gaggioli - the representative who brought Messi to Barcelona - reminded: "He has to be taken good care of. Yamal has extraordinary confidence, but we must always remember that he is only 17 years old.
Approaching Messi
Comparing to Messi is something that any young player wearing a Barca shirt has to face. But for Yamal, that comparison is no longer an exaggeration. Antonio Gagliardi - Assistant coach Parma, who used to analyze the technical aspects for Italy and Juventus - affirmed: "Messi and Ronaldo at the age of 17 are still not at the level of Yamal now. If anything, only Diego Maradona and Pele are of the same level.
However, Mr. Gagliardi also admitted: "The current Yamal may be very similar to Yamal himself in the next 10 years. That means he has reached the maturity of talent very early, and the ability to develop more is not as big as Messi." In other words, Messi is a journey from genius to legend, and Yamal is the immediate appearance of a superstar, and the task is to maintain the glory throughout the long way.
Matias Manna - Argentina's analyst - gave a worth pondering detail: "Let's pay attention to who plays with Yamal in midfield. A winger like him only makes his mark when being supported by midfielders like Pedri or Frenkie De Jong - who are not spry, who know when to activate his talent. Because even geniuses need colleagues who know how to regulate and raise their level.
Why do we love football? Because there are players like Yamal
That simple answer comes from Buck. Because after all the data, tactical analysis, pressing models, defensive structures... football is still a game of emotions. And those emotions were awakened by players like Yamal.
The boy born in 2007 is not old enough to vote, still has to do homework, but has melted the hearts of the most demanding people in football. Putting aside the trophies he has won to affirm his class, Yamal just needs a smile after each turn, a radiant look when passing the three, and innocence in the way he celebrates. That's why people love you.
Niko Kovac - Dortmund coach - called Yamal "an artist in a narrow space". Ralf Rangnick - the captain of the Austrian team - emphasized that he "never used technique to perform but always aimed for goals". Those who have played football for decades all have admiration for him, because in Yamal, they see the image of pure football - something that money cannot overshadow.
Unfinished portrait
Yamal is not a legend. You have a long way to go to continue writing your story. But in a world where everything is measured by performance and title, he is a reminder that football must first be joy, a dedication, a light in the dark days.
Yamal cannot be Messi. But it could be yourself - a unique Yamal, without copy, without mold. And what he has shown is enough for the world to follow each of his running steps with excitement, excitement and hope.
