Can he do that? Guardiola challenges Yamal to achieve key feat before Messi comparisons

Pep Guardiola has cautioned against drawing comparisons between Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal and football legend Lionel Messi, emphasizing the need to allow the teenager to develop without pressure.

Guardiola, who coached Messi for 219 matches at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, during which the Argentine scored an astonishing 211 goals and won three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies, spoke to the media (via BarcaUniversal) about the unfairness of likening the 17-year-old Yamal to his former protégé.

He urged fans and pundits to give the Spanish international, who has already made waves with his performances for club and country, the space to carve his own path.

“When he [Yamal] plays for fifteen years, we can say whether he’s better than Messi or not,” Guardiola said.

“The fact that he is compared to Messi is, in itself, a huge deal. It’s like comparing a painter to Van Gogh.”

Yamal, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, has drawn significant attention for his electrifying displays, notably during Spain’s victorious Euro 2024 campaign, where he provided four assists and scored a stunning goal in the semifinal against France.

At just 17, he became the youngest-ever player to feature in a European Championship final, earning a spot in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament. His performances have sparked inevitable comparisons to Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

However, Guardiola, whose tenure at Barcelona saw him guide Messi to four Ballon d’Or awards, stressed the importance of protecting Yamal from the weight of such expectations