Sport
Capello Admits Lamine Yamal Is a Top Talent but Says He’s Not the Next Messi
Former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has shared his thoughts on the ongoing comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
Since Yamal’s rise to prominence last season, fans and pundits have drawn parallels between the 17-year-old Spanish international and the Argentine legend. Both players came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, and like Messi, Yamal is a left-footed right winger with exceptional ball control and dribbling ability.
The young star made his senior debut for Barcelona in April 2023 and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in football. So far, he has played 86 games for the club, recording 18 goals and 23 assists.
Despite the growing comparisons, Capello believes Yamal is not on Messi’s level. Speaking to MARCA, the Italian coach said, “He’s a kid doing great things. When he first appeared at Barcelona, people called him the new Messi. He’s not at that level. He’s extraordinary, spectacular, and a top player, but he doesn’t have Messi’s genius.”
While reaching Messi’s heights may be a tough task, Yamal has already made history for Barcelona. He finished eighth in the Ballon d’Or rankings and has won both the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy, proving he’s on the path to greatness.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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