Yamal not ready for Messi comparisons, claims De Jong

Frenkie de Jong has firmly rejected any comparisons between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, despite the winger’s remarkable rise to stardom at Barcelona.

Yamal, who leads LaLiga’s assist charts with 11 in 24 games so far this season, made his Barca debut aged just 15 years and 291 days in April 2023 and has naturally drawn comparisons to Argentine great Messi, who debuted for the club in 2004, aged 17.

Messi has gone on to win the Ballon d’Or eight times, and though Yamal has already played a starring role in a Euro 2024 triumph for Spain, the 17-year-old has not yet earned the right to be compared to one of the game’s greatest players, so says De Jong.

“I don’t think you should compare him with Messi, because I think that every footballer you compare Messi with, is still not good enough,” said the midfielder, speaking ahead of Sunday’s Nations League quarter-final second-leg between the Netherlands and Spain.

Nonetheless, De Jong was not short of praise for his Barca club-mate.

“What he is doing at this age is exceptional and very rare. He is a natural talent,” De Jong added.

“The way he understands the game, the decisions he makes at this age, are really impressive. I think this skill is completely innate, and fortunately, he has it.”

Lamine Yamal has completed the most amount of dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues this season with 100

22 dribbles more than second place, Jérémy Doku pic.twitter.com/JWV14MJQ4b

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 21, 2025

Yamal’s performances and numbers since breaking into the Barcelona first team have certainly warranted the level of praise he has received.

Among teenagers in Europe’s top five leagues, his 29 goal involvements (13 goals, 16 assists) in all competitions place him 11 ahead of his nearest competitor, Desire Doue of Paris Saint-Germain (18).

Only Mohamed Salah (22), Rayan Cherki and Raphinha (18) have provided more assists than Yamal so far this campaign.

But for De Jong, Barcelona’s all-time top goalscorer, Messi, remains alone at the top.

“I don’t think there will be another one like him,” the Dutchman added.

On Sunday, Yamal will have the opportunity to prove De Jong wrong, as the Netherlands travel to Valencia with a place in the Nations League semi-finals up for grabs, following Thursday’s dramatic 2-2 draw in which Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time equaliser left the tie delicately poised.