Former Lionel Messi teammate compares eight-time Ballon d'Or winner with Lamine Yamal

Yamal’s meteoric rise has seen him likened to Messi.

Mark van Bommel has maintained that Lamine Yamal is not the greatest player in the world, despite being better than Lionel Messi’s version at his age.

Van Bommel, a former Netherlands international, thinks Yamal has matured more quickly than his former Barcelona teammate Messi did at the same age.

Due to his remarkable start to his professional career, Yamal has drawn parallels to Messi, who during his tenure at Camp Nou became one of the best players of all time.

Mark van Bommel, who played 38 games in a single season in Catalonia, does not yet think the 17-year-old is the finest player in the world, despite the fact that he has already won the European Championship with Spain and LaLiga with his club.

Lamine Yamal is competing against players like Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Mohamed Salah for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Mark van Bommel makes his feelings clear on Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi comparisons

Van Bommel told Voetbalzone:

“When Messi joined Barcelona’s first team, he didn’t play as many games in the beginning compared to Yamal now. So if you compare the two at that age, Yamal is better now.”

“Maintaining this level in the long term is the hardest thing. Messi has been at this level for 20 years. That is exceptional. If Yamal wants to catch up with Messi in terms of goals, he will have to score another 500 or so. That is almost 30 per season.”

“Is Yamal the best in the world right now? No, he’s not, but he’s well on his way. I don’t think there’s one player who stands out above the rest right now, because there are just so many good players.”

Lionel Messi scored his first goal for Barcelona in the 2004–05 season, solidifying his place in the team. Before he really took off with 23 LaLiga goals and nine more in the Champions League during the 2008–09 season, he would have decent seasons over the following three years.

In contrast, Yamal scored seven goals during his first full season with the team and eighteen more in the most recent campaign.

The two will continue to be compared, but for the time being, Messi’s entire focus will be on facing his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, when his Inter Miami team play the Champions League winners in the Club World Cup round of 16.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.