Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo has insisted it is “crazy” to compare teenage winger Lamine Yamal with club legend Lionel Messi, warning that the 16-year-old should be allowed to develop in his own way.
Speaking about the rising star, Olmo made it clear that Yamal’s talent is obvious but said the constant links to Messi are unfair. “Comparing Lamine Yamal to Messi is crazy,” Olmo admitted, as he urged people to avoid putting that kind of weight on the youngster’s shoulders.
Olmo’s comments come as Yamal continues to attract huge attention for his performances for Barcelona, with his age only adding to the hype around him. But while Olmo praised the winger’s quality, he stressed that Messi’s place in the club’s history makes those parallels almost impossible to live up to.
The midfielder underlined that Yamal does not need to be anyone else to succeed. In Olmo’s view, the teenager’s focus should be on growing step by step, rather than being judged against the standards set by one of football’s greatest players.
Yamal has become one of Barcelona’s standout young talents and remains central to the club’s future plans. For Olmo, the message is simple: let Yamal be Yamal, and stop trying to crown the next Messi before his story has even begun.
