Lamine Yamal reacts to ‘impossible’ Lionel Messi challenge as Barcelona wonderkid makes €120m transfer admission in bid to become a ‘legend’

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has reacted to the “impossible” Lionel Messi challenge that he has been set, but is determined to become a “legend”.

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• Teenage forward enjoyed meteoric rise
• Has been likened to Argentine superstar
• Hopes to spend many years in Catalunya

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  At 17 years of age, the La Masia academy graduate has already made history with club and country. He made a senior breakthrough with Barca at 15, before going on to land the European Championship crown with Spain in 2024.

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• GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Given the path that he has taken, obvious comparisons have been drawn with Argentine superstar Messi. Yamal is proud to be mentioned alongside the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, but accepts that he will never scale such heights.

• WHAT YAMAL SAID

  Yamal has told of the seemingly endless debate regarding his chances of following in the most illustrious of footsteps: “I like being compared to the best player in football history, but I want to be myself. Reaching Messi’s level is impossible.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  While emulating Messi is considered to be too big a challenge, Yamal does want to create his own legacy. That means sticking around at Barca for as long as possible – even if big-money transfer bids are tabled. He added on his future, after being told that his market value currently stands at €120 million (£101m/$133m): “I don’t want them to give me those 120 million because I would have to leave Barca. I hope I can never leave Barca, I want to be a legend.”