Football legend Thierry Henry was profoundly impressed by the performance of 17-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter, which ended in a 3-3 draw. Yamal`s performance demonstrated he is not merely a prospect for the future, but already one of the sport`s elite talents.
Yamal was instrumental in Barcelona`s attacking efforts, registering four shots and creating two chances as his team netted three goals. He scored a memorable goal himself in the 24th minute, a moment of individual brilliance that sparked Barcelona`s comeback from being two goals down. It was the latest game where Yamal has left observers, including Thierry Henry, utterly amazed.
“What I witnessed tonight from Lamine Yamal… it`s not normal to be like that at 17,” Henry commented during the post-match show. “I`m not just talking about what he does with the ball; his awareness, composure, how he reads the game, the way he defends and applies pressure. It`s simply not normal. We discussed the extraordinary number of games he`s already played at his age. It`s truly astonishing. I`m not even sure what I`m watching or witnessing, but he played with incredible intensity. When I say `a man,` technically, he`s not even a man yet. It`s just not normal.”
Statistics further support Henry`s view that Yamal operates at a level beyond most players his age. In his first 100 senior club appearances, he has recorded 50 goal contributions (22 goals, 28 assists). This tally is close to Lionel Messi`s 56 contributions (41 goals, 15 assists) at the same career stage and significantly surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo`s 27 (13 goals, 14 assists). Both Ronaldo and Messi reached their 100-game milestones at older ages than Yamal; in fact, Messi had only played seven games for Barcelona by the time he was Yamal`s current age.
His impressive statistics are matched by his entertaining style of play, which he considers a signature trait.
“I enjoy playing in a way that brings joy to others,” Yamal stated in an interview.
Yamal`s list of achievements at such a young age is also noteworthy. He played a vital role in Spain`s victory at last year`s Euros and contributed significantly to Barcelona`s recent Copa del Rey triumph. Should Barcelona manage to secure the treble – a possibility given their strong position in La Liga and presence in the Champions League – he would undoubtedly be a deserving recipient of those honors. He is already building a compelling case for himself as one of the world`s top players, potentially stepping into the void left by Messi and Ronaldo as they near the end of their illustrious careers.
“One thing that constantly amazes me in football is how you always think nobody will ever be better [than Messi or Ronaldo],” Henry remarked. “And then Yamal emerges, and in Argentina, you have another talent like [Franco] Mastantuono at River Plate, already scoring a free-kick winner in the derby against Boca Juniors. That`s the beauty of football. There`s always someone new coming, perhaps in two or three years, whom we aren`t even talking about yet. But it`s unbelievable to consider what this kid, who is only 17, is doing. I think I made my debut at 17. What he`s achieving is just crazy, completely out of the ordinary. But it`s wonderful to see a new talent arriving, a new force on the block who looks like he could dominate. I wish that for him, but let`s not burden him with pressure by saying he`s ready for the throne just yet.”
A Jersey Exchange?
Towards the end of the interview, Henry mentioned he would be in Barcelona for El Clasico in May and expressed hope of getting Yamal`s jersey for his son. Yamal was receptive but requested that Henry bring him one of his own jerseys in return, adding that it didn`t matter if it was a Barcelona or Arsenal shirt.
