1 year ago
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Sam Marsden
Moises Llorens
Jun 20, 2025, 05:40 AM ET
Barcelona's teenage prima Lamine Yamal has yet had the accidental to get to cognize his "idol" Neymar arsenic helium holidays successful Brazil during the off-season.
In videos shared connected societal media, Yamal and Neymar tin beryllium seen playing footvolley, driving astir successful a play buggy and relaxing by a swimming pool.
Neymar shared 1 clip of the duo connected Friday, with Yamal commenting "My brother."
Yamal, 17, has spent clip successful Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro this week, wherever helium has besides hung retired with surfing satellite champion Gabriel Medina.
After an exhausting play for nine and country, which ended with Spain's defeat to Portugal successful the UEFA Nations League last connected June 8, Yamal present has the summertime disconnected owed to Barça's nonaccomplishment to suffice for the Club World Cup.
Former Barça guardant Neymar, who is backmost successful Brazil playing for boyhood nine Santos astatine the property of 33, besides has immoderate down clip owed to the Brasileiro pausing for the Club World Cup.
Yamal was six years aged erstwhile Neymar joined Barça from Santos and, portion helium rates Lionel Messi arsenic the champion ever, helium has ever said that the Brazilian was the subordinate helium astir enjoyed watching owed to his benignant connected the pitch.
"I was 7 erstwhile I archetypal saw him play successful idiosyncratic astatine Camp Nou and it was unthinkable to spot him," Yamal told CNN successful an interrogation earlier this year.
"It's existent that Messi was there, who was besides incredible, but Neymar was thing wholly different. He has ever been my idol. He's a star, a shot legend," Yamal added.
In an interview with ESPN successful April, helium besides spoke astir increasing up "wearing Neymar's shirts," with the Brazil planetary yet leaving Barça for Paris Saint-Germain successful a world-record €222 cardinal ($255.8m) transportation successful 2017.
Yamal is enjoying immoderate much-needed remainder aft a superb play with Barça, which ended with the LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey trophy and occurrence successful the Spanish Supercopa.
He scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists successful 55 appearances for his nine past season, propelling himself into the speech to triumph the Ballon d'Or.
His performances person besides seen him compared to some Messi and Neymar, with ex-Barça winger Gerard Deulofeu calling him a "fusion" of the two, portion his determination to dye his hairsbreadth blond earlier the Copa last this twelvemonth was besides said to person been inspired by Neymar.
