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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Rising Barcelona star Lamine Yamal officially inherited the club’s iconic number 10 jersey on Wednesday — a shirt made legendary by Lionel Messi.
Speaking at an event held at the Spotify Camp Nou club store, Yamal acknowledged the immense legacy of the number while expressing his ambition to chart his own path.
“Messi made his path and I will make mine,” said the 18-year-old winger. “I’ll work as hard as I can, give everything, and try to make Barca fans happy — whether they’re in the stadium or watching from home.”
A product of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed youth academy, Yamal has often drawn comparisons to Messi. He made his senior debut in 2023 at the age of 15, donning the number 41 shirt, and has since made over 100 appearances, scoring 25 goals for the Catalan giants.
After wearing number 27 last season and briefly taking on the number 19 — which Messi wore between 2005 and 2008 — Yamal now steps into the symbolic role of Barca’s No. 10.
“When I was little, I dreamed of being at Barca and having this number,” he said. “Barca is my life. I’ve been here since I was seven. For every kid at La Masia, the dream is to reach the first team — and I’m living that dream. But I know I have to keep working.”
Yamal played a key role in Barcelona’s domestic treble last season and, in May, signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2031 — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players at the club.
“I hope to enjoy myself even more than last year and make my dreams come true,” he added. “I want to win the Champions League with Barca and the World Cup with Spain.”
Yamal also addressed recent controversy surrounding his 18th birthday celebration, which featured entertainers with dwarfism — an incident that prompted an inquiry by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights following a complaint by the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).
“In the end, I work and play for Barca,” he said. “But when I’m away from the club, I enjoy my life — and that’s all.”
Yamal now joins an elite list of football greats to have worn the number 10 shirt at Barcelona, including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and, most recently, Lionel Messi.
“They are three legends of football and of this club,” he said. “I’m grateful for what they gave to Barca, and I’ll try to continue their legacy.”
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