‘Already one of the best players’… Lionel Messi full of praise for €180m-rated Barcelona star | OneFootball

Although it has been some years since he last played for FC Barcelona or another top European team, Lionel Messi still remains one of the most forceful voices in the world of football.

Currently playing in the United States with David Beckham’s Inter Miami side, the Argentine superstar recently appeared in an interview in which he revealed his plans of returning to the Blaugrana club after winning the World Cup, which ultimately did not come to fruition.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, in this same interview, La Pulga also talked about his alleged successor at Barcelona, i.e., Lamine Yamal.

Messi named Yamal among some of the most notable names currently playing professional football and highlighted how kids look to emulate their players:

“Kids watch and imitate everything, they know everyone and follow everyone, because they talk about current players like Mbappé, Vinicius, Haaland, Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal — being so young, he’s really good. Seriously, it’s incredible.”

The Barcelona legend went on to highlight Yamal’s achievements despite his youth:

“Impressive what Lamine Yamal is showing, what he is doing and what he has already done. He has already been a European champion with Spain.”

Messi went on to express his belief that the €180 million-rated Spaniard will continue to grow in the years to come:

“He’s only 17 years old, he’s still in the middle of his development and will continue to grow as a player and add things to his game, just like I did. He has incredible qualities and is already one of the best players in the world.”

These words from one of the best players in the history of football and one of his idols will definitely boost Yamal’s confidence. Hopefully, he will continue to grow and will be able to establish himself as the best player of his generation, just like Messi did at Barcelona.