A stunning goal and a hand in another were not enough for Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to entertain the growing comparisons with the club’s greatest ever player, Lionel Messi. The 17-year-old winger, in a display of maturity that belied his years, firmly batted away the lofty parallels following his side’s breathless 3-3 draw with Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League.
Yamal was the standout performer for the Catalan giants on a night of defensive frailty in Belgium. With Barcelona trailing 2-1, the youngster produced a moment of pure magic, curling a sublime finish into the net to level the score. His influence continued as his dangerous play later forced a crucial own goal, salvaging a point for his team in a match they were perilously close to losing.
Yet, when journalists sought his reaction to a goal that evoked memories of a certain Argentine legend, Yamal was quick to redirect the praise and silence the hype.
“Messi has scored thousands of goals like this, so I can’t compare myself to him,” Yamal told reporters in the post-match press conference, his tone respectful and definitive. “I’m just trying to improve and go my own way, and I hope to score more goals like this in the future.”
His focus swiftly shifted from individual brilliance to collective responsibility, pinpointing the area where the Blaugrana must improve. “We are Barça and we always have to win. But we’re already thinking about the next league match,” he stated. “It’s a very difficult pitch. It’s hard to win when you concede three goals. That’s what we need to improve.”
The young Spaniard also used the opportunity to dismiss recent media speculation about his physical condition and morale, labelling the reports as unfounded. “There’s been a lot of talk about my pubalgia and that I was sad. It was all lies,” Yamal asserted. “I’m trying to get back to work and play at this level, which is how I feel best and enjoy myself the most.”
Even the audible boos from sections of the Club Brugge crowd, often a tactic to unsettle a dangerous opponent, failed to faze the unflappable teenager. He reframed the negative reception as a backhanded compliment. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence if they boo you. If they boo me, it’s because they know I do my job well on the field. I don’t worry about it.”
