The Barcelona prodigy celebrated his 17th birthday on July 13, just a day before he steps onto the European Championship final stage against England. Lamine Yamal has been smashing records and rewriting history books, debuting for his club at 15 and his country at 16.
His impact in the European Championship includes a memorable goal in the semi-final against France. Former England striker Lineker, speaking to The Guardian, highlighted what sets Yamal apart: “I remember the emergence of Wayne Rooney. You could tell he was special but even he didn’t do this. Pele scored two in a World Cup final but he was 17, nearly 18. Even Messi didn’t really emerge internationally until his late teens. What we’re seeing here is something very, very special. How special, we will have to wait and see. To do what he is doing: I can’t quite get my head around it.”
Lineker, once a star at Barca, hesitates to liken someone so young to eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi but acknowledges Yamal’s trajectory is comparable: “I’ve not seen anything like this. Messi is from another planet and I don’t think you want to put that [comparison] on him, but there’s no question that if Lamine keeps his feet on the ground and doesn’t have serious injuries, he is going to be very special indeed. He already is: if you judge the players at this tournament and age is nothing to do with it, he would be top three or four. At 16 … he’s a child! Some kids live up to the expectations, a lot don’t. But with this kind of talent, I would be surprised if we don’t see some kind of greatness.”
England faces the daunting task of containing Yamal’s threat in Berlin on Sunday. Gareth Southgate must devise a strategy to handle the fearless teenager, eager to enhance his burgeoning reputation even further.