AFCON 2025
Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi have seldom met in public, but the parallels between the two stars have continued to grow.
Messi, an Argentine icon, is unmatched, yet Yamal’s dazzling wing play and creative spark for Barcelona last season echo the World Cup winner’s brilliance.
The iconic image of Messi holding baby Yamal adds a poetic layer, as that same child is now set to claim his legendary number 10 shirt at Barcelona.
Though they’ve never played together, Messi recently reached out to Yamal via an Adidas campaign. In a touching letter in the ad, Messi wrote, “Blame it on the boots,” connecting their shared F50 boots and their knack for weaving magic on the pitch.
The timing couldn’t be better, as the 17-year-old is slated to inherit Messi’s iconic number 10 jersey next season, especially with Ansu Fati gone.
Yamal is also in contention for the Ballon d’Or alongside PSG forward Ousmane Dembele.
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