Lamine Yamal continues to generate euphoria in China. The FC Barcelona player shared with dozens of young footballers in the finals of the National Youth University Football League of the Secondary School Group (CHFL), which is being held this week in Shanghai.
During the event sponsored by Adidas, the new '10' of Barça received a bath of crowds and took the opportunity to praise Leo Messi, in addition to being honest about the influence of 'La Pulga' in his meteoric rise to world stardom.
"For me, Messi is the best footballer in history; everything he did, all over the pitch always impressed me", began the Mataró native. In that sense, he added: "I liked everything about his game, wherever he goes he leaves his mark. And it has been something really beautiful for me".
Lamine Yamal and Leo Messi: a story far beyond chance
The link between Lamine and Leo goes far beyond their path to stardom with Barça and the characteristics in their style of play and position on the field. Destiny wanted both to star in a Unicef charity campaign in 2008, when the current culé footballer was barely five months old.
The photo session published by 'SPORT' belonged to a campaign in which Messi, as a Unicef ambassador, starred alongside Yamal as part of a solidarity calendar. In a chat with 'Jijantes' last summer, the Spanish international assured that his family preferred not to share the image before to avoid logical comparisons with 'La Pulga'.
"Nobody is bothered by being compared to the best player in history. But they are things that subtract because you will never be like him", said the culé winger then.
Messi and Lamine, kings of global sports marketing
Well, beyond the comparisons, the truth is that Lamine's career is gradually following the path traced by the Rosario native. In addition to being youth players and stars of Barça, heirs of the mythical '10', they also share several advertising commitments.
Not in vain, Yamal's presence in China has to do with an Adidas campaign, a brand of which Messi has been its main ambassador since 2009, when the Rosario native became the best player on the planet.
In addition, the two players are collaborators of Unicef and, in the case of the Rocafonda native, before turning 18 he already has at least six juicy sponsorship contracts, including OPPO, Visa, Beats and Konami, which also has Leo as ambassador of his video game 'eFootball' (formerly PES).
In 25/26, his third full season with the first team, Yamal will have the opportunity to consolidate himself as the best player on the planet, already with the '10' on his back. In his first year with that number, 'La Pulga' won the treble with Barça. That's what the new culé 'crack' is aiming for.
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