Messi Was Right About Lamine Yamal But Nobody Believed Him

Long before Lamine Yamal became one of football’s most exciting young stars, Lionel Messi had already seen something special in him. From their now-famous childhood photo to Yamal’s incredible rise through Barcelona’s academy, the connection between the two players feels almost impossible to believe. But Yamal is not simply “the next Messi.” His confidence, creativity, close control, and fearlessness have allowed him to create his own legacy for Barcelona and Spain. Now, on the biggest stage of all, Yamal is carrying enormous expectations at the World Cup. Every touch, goal, and moment of brilliance brings new comparisons with Messi—the man who spent years carrying both Barcelona and Argentina. In this video, we explore what Messi recognized in Lamine Yamal, how Barcelona developed another generational talent, and why so many people underestimated just how quickly Yamal would become a global superstar. This is the story of a young player chasing World Cup glory—and proving that the hype may have only been the beginning.