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In an interview with AS, former Barcelona and Spain striker David Villa praised prodigy Lamine Yamal, stating that the 17-year-old is already a world-class star while also giving his opinion on the comparisons between the teenager and Lionel Messi .
Lamine enjoyed a spectacular 2024 during which he won Euro 2024 with Spain, where he was named Best Young Player of the Tournament.
After that, the The Masia Sensation won the Kopa Trophy and the Golden Boy Award, among several other individual recognitions.
David Villa turns lyrical on Lamine Yamal
Heaping praise on the 17-year-old sensation, David Villa stated: “He is an incredible child. How he plays, how he understands football… it’s true that I don’t know him personally, but I’ve been with him a couple of times and he seems very calm and focused.
“This is not the explosion of a footballer that will last a few months. He’s been there for a while where, you could say, he could have made a mistake and it’s quite the opposite. He is very good and every time you see him play he plays better.”
He then added: “He also knows what it means to be a champion.”
When asked about comparisons between Lamine and Messi, Villa replied that it was not necessary as the teenager is already a world-class player in his own right.
“I think comparing any player to Messi today is annoying. Lamine Yamal is already a global star. He has been achieving important things for two years and, as Whiche, I’m excited again.” Villa said.
“And of course the fans have the right to be enthusiastic about him, but I don’t think it’s necessary to compare him with Messi because he’s going to have a very good career.”
On Barcelona, Atlético and the race for the La Liga title
Villa also shared his thoughts on the La Liga title race, where two of his former clubs, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid, face off alongside current champions Real Madrid.
While the former striker admitted that it was good to see Atlético and Barça fighting, he warned that Real Madrid should not be overlooked.
“Good, although be careful with Madrid. They are always there. Well, in short, they are the biggest clubs in the country and in recent years they have shown, why not say it, quite a bit of superiority over the rest.” Villa said.
“Taking into account their signings, it was clear that the three of them were going to be in the fight again and the truth is that it is nice. That there is competition between more than two teams or with a very outstanding leader is fantastic for the football fan.”
He then added: “Of course, I am very fond of two of those three teams because of my past with them and the truth is that I am enjoying it a lot.
“I hope the league continues like this until the end. “I would like the League to be decided at the last moment… and it would be between Atlético and Barça.”
Speaking about Barcelona in particular and their drop in form towards the end of 2024, Villa commented:
“They are not doing well at the moment, which is normal, but Barça is Barça. It is a club where it is not enough to be second, everything depends on winning.
“I know the tastes of meeting and I think they are happy because there are people from La Masia in their team, they play great football and they are at the top. They are also going to fight for everything because they have world-class players.
“It is impossible not to think about a competition and that Barça is not on the list of teams that can lift the title.”
