Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Michel Salgado has stated that Lamine Yamal possesses a rare technical quality that makes him comparable to Argentine legend Lionel Messi.
Although Yamal is still in the early stages of his career, Salgado believes the young Barcelona star has shown the same courage and confidence that once characterized Messi.
According to statements published by Mundo Deportivo ahead of the opening match of the World Cup in Mexico City, Salgado expressed his enthusiasm for the development of Spain’s youngest talent.
The “Red Fury” is in Group H along with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and will begin its campaign on June 15 against Cape Verde.
Although he admitted that Messi remains a unique and incomparable footballer, the former defender stressed that the similarities between the two products of the “La Masia” academy are becoming increasingly apparent.
“We are very curious to see what Lamine Yamal will have at this World Cup. It will be something extraordinary,” declared Salgado.
“Messi is a player from another galaxy, but it’s true that there are some parallels between them. Lamine is one of those footballers that people want to see play.”
“He’s more similar,” Brazilian legend compares Lamine Yamal to Neymar
“There aren’t many players with that personality in one-on-one situations. I wouldn’t even talk about just one-on-one, but also one-on-two or one-on-three. That’s something Messi had.”
Salgado, who spent a decade at Real Madrid, credited one of the main reasons for the rapid development of both players with their training at Barcelona’s famous academy.
He stressed that, although Messi arrived in Catalonia as a child from Argentina, Yamal has grown up within the Barcelona culture for an even longer period, which has helped him cope with the pressure of elite football despite his young age.
