Lamine Yamal's dazzling versions for Barcelona have made inevitable comparisons with the greatest players of all time, despite the fact that teenager still has so much to prove
The comparisons are inevitable, but the differences remain marked. While Lamine Yamal, 17, destroyed in the exciting Champions League -similar game of Barcelona with Internazionale, the story that he is “the next Lionel Messi”, took speed.
Before the 3-3 thriller Yamal emphasized that he does not weigh himself against “the best player in history” or another player. “I don't think the comparison makes sense, with Messi even less,” he said. “I'm going to enjoy and be myself.”
The latter part is perhaps the key to why he is already the most exciting players in the world and a favorite for the Ballon d'Or. Yet such comparisons with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – will follow Yamal's career, regardless of his attempts to emphasize his own differences.
Every goal at big competitions, assistant and difficult outing will cause contrasts, because, well, that is what the era of social media requires because – perhaps influenced by American sports – much younger fans find no problem supporting Superstar players instead of teams.
And there is no shortage of statistics that fit for those who want Yamal to be even better than Messi and Ronaldo – the two most dominant stars of the modern era.
That Yamal's 100th senior game arrived against Inter offered two different random ways to make a comparison. The first, spread as a natural fire online, was a look at where Ronaldo and Messi were as 17-year-olds.
Messi had only played nine games of the first team, scoring once while Ronaldo, who came through in Sporting Lisbon, had gathered 19 games and had given five goals and four assists. The century of Yamal has meanwhile brought 22 goals and 33 assists. A clear winner then. All Hagel King Yamal.
The other comparison point is where Messi was on 100 games and, well, the fact that they are almost equal in many categories is slightly interesting.
Messi may have surpassed Yamal 41-22, but as soon as assists are incorporated into (15-33), this means that the 56 goal of the Argentinian is only a better than the coming man.
Yamal's profit percentage of 77 percent trumps Messis 67 percent, but they both won three titles after so many performances.
The only real collection meals here is that Yamal is an exceptional young player with the potential to become a big one. But he still has so much to do before the right conversations about where he can rank.
Messi and Ronaldo have achieved a long lifespan so far and there is a long list of brilliant young players who for all sorts of reasons are the typical peak for a professional player for a professional player.