Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has come out to explain that Lionel Messi had a more favorable environment to thrive during his time at Camp Nou compared to Lamine Yamal, the club’s young sensation, according to Sportskeeda.
Yamal, who burst onto the scene last season, has been drawing comparisons to Messi, especially with his remarkable performances for Barcelona.
At just 17 years old, Lamine Yamal ended last season with an impressive tally of seven goals and nine assists in 50 matches for the club.
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His standout displays earned him a spot in Spain’s squad for Euro 2024, where he was named the Young Player of the tournament.
Many fans and pundits are already hailing Yamal as Messi’s natural successor at the club.
Deco on Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal
However, Deco, while speaking to RAC 1 Radio, emphasized that Messi had a more supportive environment, which helped him develop into the legend he became.

“Leo was a slightly more explosive player at the time but Lamine is 17 years old and is winning.
“Leo was fortunate to grow up in an environment of a club that was winning, a generation that was winning, this gave him a little more time.
“Lamine is part of a renewal, of a generation that is being created. The good thing about Lamine is that he has an unusual maturity for his age and what he is experiencing.”