“Yamal is the promise. Messi is the proof.”
When presented with a deceptively simple question — “Would you rather have 2022 World Cup Messi or today’s Lamine Yamal for a big game?” — FC Seoul head coach Ji Dong Kim didn’t need to pause.
His answer was clear: Lionel Messi.
But his reasoning was layered with insight — not just a nostalgic nod to greatness, but a detailed breakdown of what separates brilliance in potential from brilliance refined by time, pressure, and legacy.
“Lamine Yamal is extraordinary. You can’t ignore the maturity he’s showing at such a young age. He’s got that spark — the kind that makes defenders hesitate and fans hold their breath. He’s bold, unpredictable, fearless. That’s rare.”
But Kim adds an important caveat: Yamal, despite his high ceiling, is still very much learning. “His current role is mostly as a winger — he thrives on space, isolates defenders, and uses bursts of speed and technique to create chaos. But at this point, his game still depends on conditions: the system, the tempo, and the space available.”
Then comes the pivot to Messi — and the tone shifts to reverence.
“Messi doesn’t need conditions — he creates them.”
Coach Kim recalls the Messi of Qatar 2022 not just as a forward, but as the axis of Argentina’s entire footballing identity. “He drops into midfield to dictate play, he manipulates space, and his timing is surgical. Messi’s intelligence is so advanced, he can dominate a match by simply existing in the right pockets of space.”
According to Kim, Messi doesn’t just play the game — he reshapes it. He forces teams to rethink their shape, drags defenders into uncomfortable zones, and sets a rhythm only he can hear. He is, in Kim’s words, “a conductor in a stadium full of noise — calm, focused, and entirely in control.”
“And the scariest part? He can be silent for 20 minutes — and then win the game in 20 seconds.”
What truly tips the scale, Kim says, is the intangible — the aura. Messi carries the weight of history, the composure of experience, and the unshakable belief that he can alter fate with a single touch. That, in a pressure-cooker match, is invaluable.
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