Yamal: Messi photo hidden to avoid Barcelona comparisons

Lamine Yamal says his family hid the now-viral photos of him as a baby with Lionel Messi to avoid drawing comparisons between the two players.

Photos from 2007, which were part of a charity calendar, surfaced earlier this month, showing Messi bathing a six-month-old Yamal alongside the youngster’s mother.

After an explosive start to his Barcelona career at just 15, the winger drew comparisons to the Argentinian as a left-footed winger on the right.

However, Yamal revealed the photos had been kept out of the limelight in a bid to avoid that kind of talk.

“Obviously, in the moment the photos were taken, I wasn’t conscious of what was going on at that age,” Yamal told Jijantes on Friday.

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“My dad had the photos saved, and they never came out, basically because we didn’t want comparisons with Messi.

“No one would be annoyed to be compared with the best to ever play the game, but it’s something that could work against you because you’re never going to be like him.”

Yamal is currently preparing for the Euro 2024 final with Spain, having broken records throughout the tournament.

In their semi-final victory, the teenager became the youngest-ever goalscorer at a major tournament at 16 years and 362 days.

Spain will face England in the final on Sunday in Berlin.