'Yamal turns 18 and takes centre stage at Barcelona'

"Comparisons are odious," wrote Cervantes in Don Quijote. Nowhere is that more true than in football - a world fuelled by statistics, noise, and the endless urge to crown the next Lionel Messi.

Lamine Yamal has heard it all before.

When the question came - again - he didn't bite.

"I don't compare myself with him," he said. "I don't want to compare myself with anyone, and even less with Messi. That's something I leave to you.

"He is the best player in football's history. I am making my own way."

So, what are we doing talking about Messi in a Lamine Yamal piece? It is just to create some context, because there are some stunning statistics.

Yamal turns 18 on Sunday by which time he will have played 106 first-team games - 73 in La Liga, 23 in Europe, six in the Copa del Rey and four others.

By the time Messi turned 18, despite having become - at 17 years, three months and 22 days - the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, he had played nine first-team games for the club.

It's probably safe to assume that as long as he keeps scoring, creating and winning games and titles for both club and country, Yamal won't be that bothered what number he is carrying on the back of his shirt.

Not that, of course, this has stopped him having a bit of fun on social media over the speculation that this season he will be wearing Barcelona's iconic number 10.

He has posted pictures of himself one day with the number 19 jersey he currently wears - as a young Messi also did - followed by a homage to some previous wearers of the 10.

The names read like a who's who of footballing royalty. Messi, of course, Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Juan Roman Riquelme, Pep Guardiola and Laszlo Kubala.

Speculation around Barcelona's number 10 shirt has followed him for months.

Out of respect, he did not entertain conversations about it while Ansu Fati, the previous wearer, was still at the club, but he has since moved to Monaco.

Barcelona have not announced anything officially although there has been a dramatic surge in sales of said shirt.

Yamal is wondering what to do. Take the weight of the 10? Or keep 19 one more season - perhaps until he turns 19?

There are a number of errors and misconceptions about the player, not least the fact that despite being discussed and written about endlessly, the majority of the media and fans continue to get his name wrong.

His full name is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana-Nasraoui. Like so many players in La Liga - think Xavi, Pedri, Joselu etc - he identifies on the pitch by his first name which is not just Lamine, nor is it just Yamal, it is Lamine Yamal.

He was named after two men, Lamine and Yamal, who helped his parents (Equatorial Guinean Sheila Ebana and Moroccan Mounir Nasraoui) pay rent during a financially difficult period before his birth.

By way of thanks, they made good on the promise to name their son in their honour.

Much has been made of the forward's holidays, his off-pitch life, and the perceived risk of distraction. Apparently he is a teenager that enjoys himself. Go figure!

More worrying is the quiet implications of that accusation. The reality is far less dramatic. He goes out, like most 17-year-olds, especially during holidays.

He is very close to his family and enjoys time with friends (he visited Neymar in Brazil). He's a healthy, responsible teenager. He is teetotal and a practising Muslim who has spoken openly about his observance of Ramadan.

And while there aren't photos of him training during summer mornings, that's largely because there's no public access. Behind the scenes, the work is still happening. He enjoys himself, there are fewer rules and obligations than during the season, but he doesn't switch off. There is balance.

He is currently in China working with Adidas. Yes, that is the kind of work a footballer has to do.

The statistics are remarkable, especially when you consider his age. And they keep improving.

Since making his debut, he has won two La Liga titles, although he featured just once during Barcelona's 2022–23 title-winning campaign. Since then, he has missed only four league games across the past two seasons. He has also lifted the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. On the international stage, he has already won the European Championship with Spain.

He wants everything: to lead, to score, to win. But there's a calmness to his ambition. He doesn't just dream of being better, he works at it.

Crucially, he knows he's not there yet. That balance between confidence and humility is what allows him to play with such freedom, as if still in the schoolyard.

It all begins at home. His parents, often discussed publicly but rarely understood, play a crucial role in keeping his feet on the ground. His father is firm, tells it as it is, and is enjoying his son's success very publicly - perhaps too exposed at the public judgement.

His mother and grandmother offer a different kind of strength - consistent, loving, and deeply rooted in values. They are the quiet force that underpins everything.

That's how he appears not a teenager overwhelmed, but a boy enjoying the game. It's not down to ignorance of pressure. It's a mindset, one that believes the best is still to come, and if it doesn't arrive, he'll keep chasing it.

Before the Champions League final he said: "At my age, few have played as many games for a club like Barca, and that's what I value most. Playing at this level and for a club like Barca isn't something that anyone can do."

When asked about the pressure or fear of failure involved with playing at the top level, he said: "I left that fear behind on the pitch in Mataro a while ago."

He was referring to his old pitch in the district of Rocafonda, where he played as a kid with others three, four and more years older.

His celebration is a tribute to where he comes from - a densely populated, working-class neighbourhood in Mataro, known for its multicultural community, social challenges, and strong sense of local identity. The three last numbers of the postcode is the shape of his fingers when he scores, 304.

His improvement last season was astonishing.

He went from seven goals and nine assists in 23-24 to 18 goals and 25 assists last campaign.

Easy to understand therefore why the boy from Rocafonda has had his contract recently renewed until 2031 with a reported base wage of 15m euro (£12.9m) per season, rising to 20m euro with performance-related bonuses plus a buyout clause set at a jaw-dropping 1bn euro, a figure clearly put in place to repel potential suitors.

But he would be the first to admit he is still a work in progress, that the best is still to come. He still needs to focus more on honing that killer instinct on goal

It's worth remembering that two of Yamal's biggest moments in 2025 - against Inter in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Nations League final against Portugal - both ended in defeat.

Those close to him wanted to see his reaction as everything to that point had gone in an upwards trajectory.

Barcelona's dramatic exit was painful for any player, more so for a 17-year-old. But his response was revealing. He was visibly hurt, yes, but once back in the dressing room, his mindset shifted quickly.

He started thinking about what was still left to win. The league, the cup. And the knowledge that the Champions League would come around again next year. That instinct - to refocus, to move forward - says everything about him.

One Barcelona executive remarked recently: "He's just a kid - even if you forget that because of how he behaves on the pitch."

Off the pitch? You see the teenager more often.

Spain team-mate Dani Olmo once described the national team environment as a "schoolyard" atmosphere - all jokes, energy, and youthful confidence.

It's an environment where Yamal thrives. He gets along with everyone (that is why he is the team DJ), brings mischief without overstepping, and knows when to pull back.

Maybe he learned from the reaction in the group when, playing with Barcelona's under-18s, he wore a Morocco shirt the day after Spain was knocked out of the World Cup by his dad's nation.

In fact, the Spanish federation had to fight with the family and with the Morocco federation to keep him with Spain. Lamine doubted but ultimately it was his decision to remain with La Roja.

His relationship with new Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has been smooth. He may be cheeky, but he's always respectful. One team-mate simply calls him "a character".

His inner circle occasionally wishes he'd expose himself to the spotlight a little less. Yet almost everyone agrees on one thing: he has the courage and personality to handle it.

That, more than the dribbles, more than the comparisons, is what makes Yamal unique. Not just that he plays like he's still in the schoolyard, but that even as the world begins to crown him, that's still where he feels most at home.

But that tension - between who he is and what he projects - runs through his entire story. At times, he reminds you of his age. After one match, when asked about criticism of his attitude, he responded: "As long as I'm winning, they can't say anything." A defiant moment, perhaps, but also an honest one.

Yamal is a player in constant evolution. Not satisfied with what he already has, he's motivated by what he doesn't. His eyes are firmly on the future: more goals, more strength, more consistency.

But he isn't trying to bypass the process. He knows there's more to learn.

With a World Cup around the corner, it is little wonder fans around the globe are licking their lips at the prospect of watching Yamal again this season.