Lamine Yamal was Barcelona’s standout performer in his first-ever Champions League semifinals.
Although he couldn’t lead the team to the final, he earned widespread respect and admiration from fans thanks to his impressive performances in both legs of the tie.
At just 17 years old, the praise continues to pour in, and inevitable comparisons are being made to Barcelona’s greatest player of all time: Lionel Messi.
David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami and president of Messi’s current club, spoke about Yamal on CBS following the Inter-Barça match: “He’s the first player you watch and think… I mean, no one can be compared to Messi, in my opinion… but he’s the closest I’ve seen.”
Beckham went on to say he sees a bright future for the young star: “One day, I think he could be as good as Lionel Messi. A player like that only comes along every 20 or 30 years,” he concluded.
