The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most iconic in football history but another player has now entered this race.
Lamine Yamal's impressive playing style and position on the field often draw comparisons to Messi by fans.
Moving beyond these comparisons, Dutch former footballer Wesley Sneijder has made a new prediction that Yamal could even surpass Messi.
Barcelona rising star has undoubtedly proven himself to be one of the top young football talents in the world.
After a successful 2024-25 season, Yamal has struggled with injuries this season which has sparked huge controversy.
In September and October, he missed four La Liga matches because of a groin issue, later diagnosed as pubalgia.
Speaking to AdventureGamers, Sneijder said, "We speak about whether Lamine Yamal can be Messi one day, well Lamine Yamal at Barcelona is the new Messi. Can Yamal reach Messi’s level or even go beyond him to become a better player? It’s possible. Players improve every year and he is already at such a high level."
A former Read Madrid star predicts that Yamal will remain with Barcelona until at least 2035.
"They will never let him go and I think, I believe, that the kid would never want to leave. He’s been there since he was a youngster and he’s already achieved so much as a first team player. He’s earned a lot of money. He’s a big star of the team," he added.
Yamal is expected to fully recover in time for Barcelona's busy holiday season.
