Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal has described Lionel Messi as the greatest player in the history of football, but he discovered that former Brazilian star Neymar remains his personal idol.
The 18-year-old made the comments while discussing the players who influenced his development, insisting there is no debate over Messi’s place in football history despite picking Neymar as the player he most admired growing up.
Messi remains the benchmark
Speaking to RTVE, Yamal praised Messi’s continued influence on the game and said the Argentinian’s performances consistently prove why he is considered football’s greatest player.
“I think every game he shows that he is the best player in history,” Yamal said.
“If anyone doubts, it’s because he’s looking for them; there’s nothing more to say. For me, he’s the best.”
Messi recently cemented his legendary status at the 2026 World Cup after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria.
The performance tied him with Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.
Despite his admiration for Messi, Yamal said Neymar had the biggest influence on his style of play.
“Obviously my idol is Neymar because I love watching him play, but Messi is the best and there is no debate about that,” he added.
Spanish star focused on recovery
Yamal also spoke about his fitness ahead of Spain’s next World Cup clash, stressing he is in no rush to return to full match sharpness following recent injury concerns.
The teenager said he is following a gradual recovery plan and does not believe he is ready to play a full match.
“I think it’s very fast; it’s unnecessary. I have an adaptation process first. I don’t think it’s time to play the whole game, but I can play the minutes the coach wants,” he said.
Looking ahead, Yamal welcomed the prospect of facing the best nations in the knockout stages, insisting that Spain need to be ready to challenge any opponent if they hope to lift the World Cup trophy.
He added that team success is still more important to him than individual scoring records.
