Yamal has the mentality of Messi, Ronaldo. He'll be even better in 2025-26

A mates of words of informing for those who volition instrumentality vantage of Lamine Yamal's show successful Spain's UEFA Nations League last decision to Portugal to enactment the kid down due to the fact that they deliberation he's been overhyped: Firstly, lb for pound, helium is inactive importantly the champion footballer successful the world, a genuine improvement and worthy of the statement "budding genius." Secondly, this feline is made of the aforesaid bonzer stuff, the aforesaid resolute "I'll amusement you!" determination and thrust that made Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo specified legends.

Please beryllium clear: those who take this infinitesimal to effort to chopped him down to size volition beryllium forced to devour their words precise quickly. I cognize these radical beryllium due to the fact that I spoke to 1 of them successful the past fewer days, a UEFA Champions League-winning manager astatine that -- and determination are more.

I've besides had the accidental to analyse Yamal astatine beauteous adjacent quarters.

Over the past 15 months, I've interviewed him for thing similar an hour-and-a-half, composed of 2 30-minute tv interviews and respective postmatch stand-up interviews. I privation you to beryllium wide that this devastatingly talented, explosive footballer has a streetwise, hard-nosed, high-octane mentality.

The days earlier Spain mislaid to Portugal were packed with each media typical (from a immense planetary array) asking immoderate subordinate whose receptor they could crook -- Spanish, French, German oregon Portuguese -- whether Yamal should triumph the Ballon d'Or successful September.

Then, not lone did the Barcelona youngster neglect to triumph the lucifer singlehandedly, Ronaldo played a large relation successful Portugal becoming the archetypal squad to triumph this tourney twice. (Yamal played a relation successful some Spain goals, enactment 2 fierce shots connected people and acceptable up Nico Williams for a immense chance, but hey, who cares astir facts anymore?)

For the haters, it was a accidental for: See! The due bid his been restored. Back successful your box. young pup! The media was afloat of those who thought Yamal disrespected Portugal successful however rapidly helium near the transportation erstwhile the trophy was presented. What volition hap present is that the 17-year-old (who has 74 vocation goals and assists) volition spell distant and caregiver his wrath.

His main Ballon d'Or competitors (Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha) volition present embark connected a fewer weeks of highly draining, unnecessary FIFA shot successful the blistering blistery temperatures of the U.S. summertime and, by definition, volition person their summertime remainder -- and preseason mentation -- gnawed distant at. Again.

Meanwhile, the teenage prodigy volition observe his 18th day connected vacation. He'll rest. He'll recuperate. He volition assimilate the bonzer experiences he's been done implicit this past year. And he'll program his battle connected each the nine and idiosyncratic trophies that are disposable to him successful the coming 12 months -- including the World Cup.

In different words, he's going to commencement the 2025-26 play successful bully intelligence and carnal signifier and he's going to beryllium driven by that "I'll amusement each of you!" cognition that I warned you about. It's a trait helium decidedly shares with Ronaldo and Messi.

I'll explain.

My archetypal interrogation with Messi came successful precocious summertime 2006 aft he'd conscionable suffered the archetypal immense setback of his vocation erstwhile his coach, Frank Rijkaard, failed to see him successful Barça's squad for the Champions League last against Arsenal the erstwhile May. Do you retrieve what happened next?

Messi, convinced helium was acceptable aft a agelong recuperation from hamstring problems, was truthful furious astatine his omission that erstwhile his teammates won the trophy, helium level refused to travel down and observe with them connected the Stade de France pitch. Messi's trademark ferocious stubbornness took clasp and not adjacent his mentor, Ronaldinho, could alteration his mind.

By the clip I spoke to him, astir 8 weeks later, Messi had repented.

"I was furious. I was truly overcome," helium said. "I made a atrocious prime but I've learned from it. I won't bash it again and, God willing, I'll person the accidental to triumph this trophy again successful the future."

Messi, aged 18 erstwhile this happened, utilized that fury to thrust himself on. The mode that Messi felt then, and Yamal volition consciousness present (especially if he's pipped to the Ballon d'Or) tin beryllium rocket fuel. Extraordinary sports stars soak up defeat, mockery and pain, and past woody retired retribution period aft month, twelvemonth aft year.

Ronaldo has a akin story.

Do you retrieve that portion astatine Manchester United, his teammates mercilessly teased him for his imperfect complexion, for his prime of clothes, for the authorities of his teeth and past yet for his unwillingness to present the shot into the mediate erstwhile they -- peculiarly Ruud van Nistelrooy -- wanted it? These experiences reduced Ronaldo to tears. Speak to those ex-Man United teammates present and they'll archer you that Ronaldo soaked up each the mockery and utilized it to alteration himself into a frighteningly ascendant squad person -- astatine United, astatine Real Madrid and for Portugal.

Yamal volition bash the same.

Elimination successful the Champions League semifinal to Inter Milan volition person been sore, but the 17-year-old played perfectly beautifully and with astir supernatural competitory aggression successful some legs against the Italians. Sunday's last volition person a somewhat antithetic impact.

Just erstwhile galore astir him were lacking fizz, invention and efficacy, their prodigious young tyro couldn't nutrient capable magic. Take my connection for it, successful the adjacent fewer weeks, galore successful shot oregon the media (let unsocial societal media) volition trumpet that he's not rather Ballon d'Or worldly yet.

Meanwhile, this thoroughfare combatant volition beryllium watching, resenting, mounting caller targets and enjoying his archetypal accidental of assimilating everything he's gone done since breaking into Barcelona's archetypal squad astatine the property of 15.

When I interviewed him for the 2nd of our longer chats, this past spring, Yamal re-watched our speech from the erstwhile year.

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Are Yamal and Doué the adjacent Messi and Ronaldo?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens statement whether comparisons betwixt Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are "premature".

"You tin truly announcement a batch of changes: my hair, my body, my face, everything. Even the mode I answered questions," helium said. "It was each caller to me, but present I'm much utilized to it.

"I deliberation I've changed a lot; possibly not successful presumption of my personality, but connected the outside, what's visible. I'm arrogant of however I was a twelvemonth ago. The happening is, I've got much content and much resources than before."

He's charting his ain development, and helium knows it's accelerating.

It wasn't agelong aft this interview, during which helium admitted that Nuno Mendes had been his toughest one-on-one rival, that Yamal announced: "To those who accidental I'm cocky, I accidental that arsenic agelong arsenic I win, you can't accidental thing to me." And helium utilized societal media to mock Rafael van der Vaart, who'd criticized Yamal aft Spain eliminated Netherlands from the Nations League.

Now he's dealing with decision and derision. Now different portion of his singular quality volition by accelerated.

It volition instrumentality a agelong time, if ever, for Yamal to lucifer the statistic and the silverware of Messi and Ronaldo, but their mentalities? He's astir to commencement demonstrating that he's made from the aforesaid stuff.