De la Fuente believes the winger belongs in an elite category of players blessed with extraordinary talent, he warned against placing the burden of succeeding Messi on the youngster’s shoulders. Comparisons to the Argentine icon have been made since Yamal broke through at senior level, though the teenager has tried to dismiss such talk.
De la Fuente agrees that Yamal and Messi share a similar gift, believing only a select few possess the innate ability to change the game at such a high level from such a young age.
“Footballers are people of high ability, so intelligent. They are geniuses and then there are those that are touched by God’s wand and there are very few of those. Lamine, Messi…”
A long-forgotten photo of Messi and Yamal surfaced recently, showing a 20-year-old Messi bathing Yamal as a baby for a charity calendar.
“Maybe Messi has picked up lots of babies,” De la Fuente added. “Maybe it’s chance. But for those of us who have faith, who believe in something beyond, ‘chance’ is God’s pseudonym when he doesn’t want to sign his name. In life I think, everything happens for a reason.”
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