LALIGA
Lamine Yamal, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi
The right winger of FC Barcelona is a superstar in the making and has stepped into the shoes, almost literally, of the Argentine man of 2007.
One of the footballers who is generating great excitement for the future within the global scene is Lamine Yamal. The young right winger from FC Barcelona is gaining more prominence in the Blaugranas’ attack, and in his short career, he already holds several records. On Monday, it was announced that he is joining Adidas, following in the footsteps of Barça legend Lionel Messi.
Yamal and Adidas join up
Through several social media posts, the company famous for its three stripes officially announced the arrival of the 16-year-old player as the new brand ambassador, establishing a connection that will see him continue to use their boots to play in LaLiga EA Sports, the UEFA Champions League, and the upcoming UEFA European Championship in Germany 2024.
Regarding the agreement reached with the German multinational, the number 27 of Xavi Hernández’s team stated, “I’m so proud to join Adidas. It has always been the brand that the best players wear. Leo Messi used to be my idol growing up, and he has been wearing Adidas boots since I started watching football. I’m very excited for the years to come.”
As a result, all Adidas stores in Barcelona now feature the image of Yamal, accompanied by the phrase ‘The future awaits us,’ clearly demonstrating the impact that the youth player from La Masía is having. During the first leg of the round of 16 against Napoli in the European Cup, Yamal sported Messi’s boots at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Next challenges for Lamine
The upcoming fixtures for Xavi’s Barça and the versatile winger will be against Athletic Club de Bilbao (Sunday 3 March), RCD Mallorca (Friday 8 March), and the return leg against Napoli in the Champions League (Tuesday 12 March). He was on the bench at the weekend to take some rest, so it will be interesting to see him continue to fuel the competition with Raphinha.
Although the two LaLiga games are crucial to stay in the fight, the clash against the Italians poses a major challenge in attempting to become the youngest player to score in the UCL and potentially advancing to the quarter-finals. With plenty of troubles to worry about, the club is pinning much of its hope on Yamal.