Michel Salgado: The similarity between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi is astonishing

Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Michel Salgado shared his thoughts on Barcelona star Lamine Yamal. He noted that the young talent is approaching the level of the legendary Lionel Messi with his technical skill and fearlessness on the pitch. Salgado believes the teenager's playing style puts him in the category of extraterrestrial players. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Salgado spoke about the new gem of the Spanish national team. According to him, Lamine Yamal does not lose his composure not only in one-on-one duels but also in situations against two or three defenders. The former defender specifically noted that this trait was an integral part of Lionel Messi's game in his time.

Both players are products of the Barcelona academy, La Masia. Salgado emphasized that this environment helps players mature early. Despite being only 18 years old, Lamine Yamal has already managed to become a three-time La Liga winner, Euro 2024 champion, and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d'Or race.

Salgado also recalled the talk about Lionel Messi in the Real Madrid dressing room back in the day. He said that Messi proved his greatness by scoring a hat-trick in his very first El Clásico. Now, Lamine Yamal is expected to follow the same path and rise to the level of legends like Pelé and Maradona.