Xavi on Lamine Yamal: "I realized immediately that he was a unique talent on Messi's level"

Former Barcelona head coach Xavi shared his impressions of young star Lamine Yamal's arrival and his first training sessions. The expert believes the 17-year-old has the potential to become the face of not just the club, but world football for the next 20 years. Xavi compared him to the hype and talent surrounding Lionel Messi in his prime. This is reported by Goal.com. reports .

In an article written for The Athletic, Xavi noted that he first heard about Lamine Yamal when he was still playing in the Barcelona academy. According to the coach, everyone within the club began talking about a unique prodigy appearing at La Masia. This reminded Xavi of the atmosphere before a young Lionel Messi broke into the first team.

"I had heard about him before I saw him. People were talking about this kid constantly — just like with Leo Messi. They told me there was a boy who played very well and stood out from the rest. The same scenario repeated with Lamine," recalls the Barcelona legend.

First look and unexpected decision

Xavi first saw Lamine Yamal's play in a youth team match recorded by the club. Although the player was only 15 at the time, he demonstrated true leadership qualities on the pitch. In that game, he scored one goal and provided two assists. The coach says his decision-making speed and composure amazed the experts.

After that event, Xavi demanded that the young talent be immediately involved in first-team training. Although the club management advised waiting a bit because issues related to the player's contract had not been fully resolved, the coach stood firm. He realized that Yamal's skills were already ready for professional football.

"When he came to training at 15, you could sense something special about him. He was a great dribbler and made almost no mistakes. In positional play and matches against the first team, he acted like an experienced player. I saw his readiness and gave him the chance to debut," says Xavi.

The protagonist of the future

Lamine Yamal's movements on the pitch remind many of the youth of legends like Diego Maradona, Pelé, and Ronaldo. Experts highly value his ball handling and ability to read the game. Currently, he has already become an integral part of not only Barcelona but also the Spain national team.

In his article, Xavi emphasized that Yamal is also very strong psychologically. He believes that the young footballer's ability to keep working on himself without succumbing to stardom will make him a main contender for the Ballon d'Or in the coming years. The football world is witnessing the beginning of a new era, and this era is expected to be defined by the name Lamine Yamal.