You could say the 18-year-old has put a damper on the GOAT debate before the FIFA World Cup 2026 even has time to get going. “Messi is in a class of his own,” Yamal says, and he wants you to be patient with him as he figures things out.
Yamal cools the hype with praise for Messi
In an interview with El Pais from Atlanta, Yamal was having none of it when it came to being put in the shadow of the Argentine. “It’s impossible. To me, he is the best and he won’t stop showing why. You can’t have an edge on him at 40,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying.
There is a point to be made here, and Yamal is making it: don’t expect to top what Messi has done. It’s not for want of trying on his part, but more of a reality check given how high the bar is set.
Self-belief with a long-term view
That doesn’t mean he is without confidence. The young Spaniard knows he has more in the tank than most give him credit for. “I know I am better than what you see. But the road is long and there are plenty of areas to work on,” he put it simply.
He is quick to add that all the good will from the outside means nothing if you don’t put it to use. “People think this is where I am and that’s it. I can make something of that. Let me be clear: I have a lot of ground to cover. And a lot, a lot, a lot of football in front of me.”
World Cup context: return from injury
Getting to this tournament has been a bit of an ordeal with injuries, but Yamal should be in line to go up against Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Whether he does is down to how fit he is, and what Spain needs in attack.
We saw a hint of it in the opening 0-0 with Cape Verde, where he came on late. Twenty-five minutes was enough for his first outing in almost two months; it was a soft re-entry, not a fireworks display.
Short as it was, it was a sign that Spain has another weapon to trouble defences. For Yamal, it was about finding his feet, not making a case for his spot in the side.
What he said, in brief
The highlights of his comments:
– No way he is passing Messi
– At 40, ‘he keeps proving it’
– Thinks he is better than the public does
– A long way to go, with room to improve
– ‘A lot, a lot, a lot of football’ to come
In a way, Yamal has had it both ways: he’s put a spotlight on Messi’s reign and laid out his own, unpretentious goals. It’s about progress, not posturing.
Sunday’s game with the Saudis will be a good measure of that. If he is on the pitch, we will be looking at the play, not the name-dropping.
For the moment, he is keeping it in perspective. The kid is not out to be a headline act; he is working on his own limits, one game at a time.
