As if anyone needs reminding, Yamal has also enjoyed a more successful start to his international career than Messi. The skinny schoolkid with the braces wasn’t just a member of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad; he was the star of the show.
In between doing his homework, the then-16-year-old taught the likes of Adrien Rabiot lessons they’re never likely to forgetand while he’ll be a marked man again at this summer’s World Cup, he’s actually better placed to light up the finals than Messi was when he travelled to Germany with Argentina in 2006.
Messi scored on his tournament debut, against Serbia-Montenegro, but he only started one game and remained on the bench for the entirety of his country’s frustrating quarter-final loss to the host nation.
Yamal, by contrast, is the best player on the highest-ranked team in the world right now, the generational talent that Luis de la Fuentes’ terrific team relies upon for individual inspiration – and the early favourite to win the Golden Ball.
Messi could well have something to say about that, of course – particularly with Argentina scheduled to meet Spain in the final. Were he to lead his country to a second consecutive World Cup, his legacy would become impossible to match, let alone surpass. Truth be told, it probably already is – but based on what we’ve seen so far, Yamal at least has it in him to enter the GOAT debate.
