Marcelo Bielsa, one of football’s most respected tacticians, has heaped extraordinary praise on Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. The Uruguay national team coach boldly compared the 18-year-old winger to none other than Lionel Messi, insisting that Yamal possesses the rare ability to change the course of a game all on his own.
Bielsa, known for his meticulous attention to detail and tactical innovations, explained that Yamal is a player who “breaks the analysis.” Unlike many forwards who rely heavily on intricate team build-up or decisive passes from playmakers, Yamal thrives with minimal support. According to Bielsa, even if the young Spaniard is given nothing more than a simple sideways ball, he has the confidence and skill to dribble past multiple defenders, dismantle entire defensive structures, and create goal-scoring opportunities out of nothing.
Drawing parallels with Messi, Bielsa emphasized that this independence is what sets Yamal apart from other elite attackers of the modern game. While stars like Kylian Mbappé or Cristiano Ronaldo often need creators around them to maximize their impact, Messi — and now Yamal — operate on a different level. They can receive the ball in difficult positions, with defenders crowding them, and still carve a path toward goal. Bielsa described this as a gift that transcends normal tactical planning, saying such players “improve the team by eliminating opponents on their own.”
The comparison to Messi is no small compliment, especially coming from Bielsa, who coached Argentina and has witnessed Messi’s brilliance firsthand. For Yamal, still at the dawn of his career, such recognition highlights the extraordinary expectations being placed on his shoulders. Yet, it also underlines the faith that seasoned football minds have in his potential to become Barcelona’s next talisman, capable of carrying the club into a new era of dominance.
