A recent statement by the prodigy Lamine Yaman, then 16-years-old, took the internet by storm before the final of the UEFA EURO 2024. After writing history within the most eagerly awaited football event of the year, the youngster’s words spread like wildfire on the internet as the star disclosed his enthusiasm regarding a possible confrontation with the Argentinian legend Lionel Messi. The news caught fire online like Messi’s declared intent to continue playing in the Copa América final with an injured ankle overwhelmed the world.
The now-17-year-old Spain phenomenon walked in his idol’s footsteps, Lionel Messi, after revealing that the model offered by the Argentinian star served as the best motivation throughout the hardship. Yamal was just a baby when he first, unknowingly, met Messi, not realizing that years later, he’d encounter the icon again in a more dazzling context.
All those years when the ambitious footballer was ceaselessly hitting the gym or working with his sling trainer rewarded him big time as the prodigy is now associated with his idol, and more. He takes the No 19 jersey for Barcelona and will wear it with the Catalan club in the season to come. The 17-year-old forward will flaunt what belonged to the greatest in football’s history, including Patrick Kluivert and Sergio Agüero, among others. And that’s not all.
The recently unearthed 14-years-old memory is now the talk of the internet
A picture taken in 2007 has recently taken the internet by storm after years of staying low-profile. A freelancer photographer who shot pictures for UNICEF that year captured pictures of what was about to become an internet sensation, namely then-20-year-old Argentinian star Lionel Messi holding a baby named Yamal Lamine.
Additional shots with Yamal’s mother emerged, some involving a bathtub, and now fans are going wild about whether there has been a change of energies or everything is a beautiful destiny’s coincidence. It seems like a football star recognized another rising prodigy, for 17 years later, that baby held by Messi managed to wear the famous No. 19 shirt for Barcelona. The prodigy grabbed the title of the youngest performer playing at a European Championship, all under the eyes of over 2MN attendees who flocked to watch the finals live.
In addition, Yamal shattered a 66-year-old record belonging to Brazilian legend Pele. Along with other unshakeable records, the Messi-blessed teenager has outshone many footballers who made history in the last few decades.
Walking in Jude Bellingham’s footsteps and beyond
Midfielder Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid secured the title of the youngest European Championship footballer for a year, endowed with it at 19. 2023 was a sensational year for the footballer as he had previously been transferred from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for $110MN.
The contract expires in 2029, but he’ll always be known as the player who obtained a stellar 485 points out of the total of 500, equating to 97% of voters. Moreover, the expert has marked 19 times during the league, helping Real Madrid grab its 36th La Liga title by 10 points. The player has surpassed Artem Dovbyk, Antoine Griezmann, and Robert Lewandowski in votes.
Drawing a parallel
The Best Young Player of the Euro 2024 tournament is only 17 – a year younger than Messi at his international debut. After scoring 672 goals at Barcelona and winning the Champions League four times, the A-lister remained the record-setter at FC Barcelona and the greatest player ever.
Now, Yamal is walking in Messi’s footsteps from the perspective of his performance. Nevertheless, despite riding the fame wave, the star managed to graduate earlier this year. Yamal has mixed school with his training like Bellingham did, both demonstrating that you can prioritize your gym session and your (endless)rope trainer for your entire body workout, grip strength, coordination, and endurance – all while enjoying your teenage years and finishing school.
What Yamal and Bellingham let fans know about Spain’s Liga issue
Priceless insights from the youngest and most talented footballers surfaced after the two were interviewed before the much-anticipated UEFA final. According to the celebrities, the famous club’s activity could stagnate for another year, marking the second one without signing new players. It’s not sure whether the club will receive the green light to sign a new wave of participants – all due to the daunting state of the financial forecast, in part caused by the massive debts of approximately €3BN of the club.
Despite the astronomical amount of money owed, fans and the club’s management find solace after learning that a gift can’t be taken from them. The Spanish phenomenon belongs to the team and has demonstrated that in spite of the pressures faced, the club has brighter days ahead with him on board.
2025 could witness one of the most awaited competitions in football’s history
Enough uncertainty – Lamine Yamal will flaunt the number “19” t-shirt for next year’s campaign after aligning with some high-profile players given a series of breathtaking performances. What remains an open question is whether the young star will see one of his biggest dreams come to fruition. So far, the odds are in his favor.
Yamal’s wish this year was for Argentina to win Copa America and for his team to beat England in the final of UEFA 2024. All said and done – Argentina won the title for the 16th time, this time going one-on-one with Colombia.
If things go according to plan, the player may face bigwig Messi in an official game next year in Finalissima – Italian for “grand final”. This event sees the champions of the Copa America and Euro run-in for another win. A few conditions must be met, such as perfect health conditions allowing these competitions, Messi’s continuity on the international football stage, and other common-sense criteria.
The upcoming Finalissima will unfold next year, but the exact date is yet to be known. Considering that the battle took place on the first of June 2022, following the final of the regular season, we can expect a similar period to witness the unfolding of Finalissima 2025.
From 27 to 19 in a year – Yamal and Messi could face off in what will be one of the biggest competitions in the history of football to date. Stay close for more!
