Spain star Lamine Yamal has revealed Brazilian icon Neymar is his idol. The Barcelona prodigy overlooked Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when asked about his favourite players to watch.
The 18-year-old will be hoping to drive Spain to victory over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Yamal has been gradually returning to full fitness and made his World Cup bow as a substitute in his nation's surprise draw with Cape Verde on Monday.
The teenager, who lifted the Euros with Spain in 2024, finished runner-up in last year's Ballon d'Or voting, a coveted individual award that Messi and Ronaldo have claimed a combined 13 times.
Yet Yamal snubbed two of the game's greatest ever when asked which player he most enjoys watching, aside from his team-mates.
Yamal said during a fan Q&A on his YouTube channel, "Neymar. I always enjoy watching Neymar play. He's my idol."
"Neymar is a player who marked my entire childhood. He is my idol. I will always be grateful for everything he has given to football. He always inspires us. He's one of those players you pay a ticket just to watch him play," he said in April.
The Spain international also gave a mention to Manchester City pair Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki. This is not the first time Yamal has expressed his admiration for Neymar.
