Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gives his thoughts on Lionel Messi comparisons for Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has had his say on comparisons made between Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
With Yamal now officially wearing the sacred Barça No. 10 shirt, Guardiola pleads with both fans and the media to grant the young man some time to create his own era, instead of comparing him to the best who have ever played the game.
The Weight of No. 10
Ever since Lionel Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Barcelona has been looking for someone worthy of wearing his iconic No. 10 shirt. There was a time when Ansu Fati was seen as a potential successor, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented his emergence.
Now that mantle has been passed to 18-year-old Lamine Yamal after a breakout season in which he starred in La Liga and announced himself to the world at Euro 2024 with Spain. And as the hype machine ramps up, Messi comparisons have inevitably come fast.
Guardiola’s Artful Perspective
Addressing the Messi-Yamal saga in his inimitable poetic way, Pep Guardiola likened the situation to:
“It’s kind of like comparing a young painter to Van Gogh. For someone to say, ‘Wow, he paints really well,’ that’s already something. To be spoken about in the same breath as Messi tells you how special a player Yamal is.”
But Guardiola pounced when asked to put matters in context:
“Messi is on another level. We are talking about a player who scored 90 goals in a single season, remained at the top for 15 years and was never injured. That’s a miracle.”
Rather than hyping Yamal to become a mythical Messi, Guardiola appealed for people to allow the youngster to develop:
“Let the boy play football. Let him express his talent and tell his own story. Let’s see him play for 15 years, then we’ll make the comparison.”
A Star in the Making
The rise of Yamal has been nothing short of meteoric. Cool on the ball, fearless in the final third and with a vision far beyond his years, the Spanish winger already looks like a generational talent.
On the international stage at Euro 2024, he lit up the tournament with some crucial goals, demonstrating that he remains composed, despite his tender years. With Spain and Barcelona transitioning, the anticipation of what Yamal could become is steadily growing, and fans will be hoping to see magic on the pitch once more.
The Pressure of a Legend’s Legacy
To be compared to Lionel Messi is both a compliment and a curse. It’s a lot to take for an 18-year-old who is still trying to find his way in the game. Guardiola’s comments are a much-needed reminder that football’s most beautiful narratives are seldom authored overnight.
Yamal is not Messi, and he need not be.
One who, granted enough freedom to mature, to stumble, to be educated and to change, not always in direct competition, could be something very special in his own right.
And Pep Guardiola’s observation is the sounding of one who has seen Messi’s genius from the very first day indeed. And as easy as it is to dream big with a talent like Yamal’s, maybe what we need to do after all is take a step back and just let the boy play.
Because legends aren’t created with the number on your shirt, they’re built up over time.
