Lamine Yamal Names Two Football Icons He Doesn’t Want To Be Better Than

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has revealed the two football icons he does not want to be considered better than during his career.

The 19-year-old made the comments while speaking to L’Équipe ahead of Spain’s Nations League clash with England on Saturday.

Yamal named Brazil legend Pelé and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi as the two players he does not want to surpass, saying he wants to build his own identity in football.

“I don’t want to be better than Pelé or Messi. I want to be Lamine Yamal and be remembered as Lamine Yamal.”

Yamal has attracted widespread attention since breaking into Barcelona’s first team in 2023 under former manager Xavi and has continued to develop into one of Spain’s leading players.

The winger has already won several major trophies, including LaLiga, Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup with Spain.

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Yamal finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting and is once again among the leading contenders for the 2026 award.