Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger, has heaped praises on Barcelona and Spain’s fast-rising youngster Lamine Yamal.
Lamine Yamal has made himself an object of fascination for the football world, with many already claiming there’s no one currently better than him in the world.
Antonio Rudiger is one of the many in awe of the amount of potential Yamal possesses. Rudiger described the 17-year-old as a big and scary talent.
“He is 17, it’s ridiculous. The player he is already for them [Barça] at 17, it’s quite scary. What he did in the Euros, you have to give kudos to him. He has a great future ahead.”
“I think they [Barça] have a player who has a [big] career and hopefully, he will stay healthy,” the Real Madrid defender said.
Rudiger and Yamal would face each other at in the El Clasico for the first time this season on October 26, 2024, with Lamine Yamal expected to shine bright for the Catalan giants.
Rudiger’s compliments on the young forward are not out of place given the latter’s prolific performance since his big break.
Lamine Yamal performance for Barcelona
Yamal grew his football through Barcelona’s famed La Masia. It didn’t take long for him to get the attention of the higher-ups at Barcelona.
Already being viewed as one of the academy’s best prospects, at just the age of 15, Barcelona ex-boss Xavi Hernandez selected the youngster to train with the first team in September 2022. He had to wait quite a while before making his professional debut though and didn’t feature for the first team until eight months after training with them.
He made his debut on April 29, 2023, coming off the bench in a 4-0 victory against Real Betis. His appearance in the game made him the fifth youngest player to ever feature in a La Liga match and the youngest to ever feature for Barcelona in an official game.
After his first appearance with the team, Yamal still remained on the peripheries of the team and was used mostly as a late substitute to close games for the Blaugrana. The 2023-24 season brought a change in fortune for the youngster. He made his first start for the senior team on August 20, 2023, in a 2-0 victory over Cadiz.
His exceptional growth continued after the debut appearance. On September 19, 2023, he made his UEFA Champions League debut with Barcelona in a 5-0 win over Antwerp.
Lamine Yamal records
By the end of his first full season with the club, Yamal had broken and set new records. He became the youngest starter in the club’s history; the youngest player to register an assist, score for Barcelona, feature in an El Clasico, and score a brace in La Liga. This and other milestones saw the youngster establish himself as the biggest football prospect in the globe.
His achievements saw him earn a comparison to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. Many claimed Yamal playing style was reminiscent of the Argentine. Analysts pointed out how similar they were, considering the Argentine also played on the right wings during the early days of his career and was also left-footed as Yamal.
In the ongoing 2024-25 season, Yamal has hit even greater heights. He has made himself an undisputed starter in the Hansi Flick side and is now somewhat of a focal point in the attack for the German.
So far, he has scored five goals and assisted another five in ten appearances this season. This has led many to claim he is already the best in the world.
Lamine Yamal performance for Spain’s national team
Yamal received his international call-up at the age of 16, for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He made his debut on September 8, 2023, against Georgia, featuring in a 7-1 win, and scoring in the 74th minute. The goal made him the youngest player and goal-scorer in the history of the national team.
On June 7, 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the Euro 2024 tournament. The tournament turned out to be a big stepping stone for him. He won the Young Player of the Tournament and was incredibly vital as Spain claimed the trophy.
