Lamine Yamal (18, Barcelona) scored a fantastic goal on the stage of 'Star Wars,' receiving praise from legends of world football.
Yamal started the match on Nov. 1 (Korea time) at the Estadio Olímpico in Barcelona, Spain, where he scored a goal in the 24th minute of the first leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinal against Inter Milan.
Trailing 0-2, Yamal shook the net with an explosive individual breakthrough. This goal was a decisive moment in his 100th appearance for Barcelona. Barcelona finished the match with a score of 3-3.
After the match, legends of the football world sent lavish praise towards Yamal. Rio Ferdinand, a 'Manchester United legend,' noted on his social media account, “Considering pure talent alone, Yamal is the highest-level player across the top five leagues in the world. It’s hard to believe he is just 17.”
Ferdinand added in 'TNT Sports' commentary, “This kid is just playing around right now. He’s ridiculously free on the biggest stage,” and said, “Barcelona entrusts this young player with the ball in decisive moments. We witnessed him dismantling his opponents right before our eyes. It was truly a fantastic experience.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also conveyed through 'CBS Sports,' “He really looked like Lionel Messi. It was reminiscent of Messi’s prime,” adding, “The whole stadium was focused on him. It felt like everything stopped, just watching what he would do next.”
French legend Thierry Henry also expressed admiration. He said, “People are always asking who can surpass Messi and Ronaldo. In my time, there were Pelé, Maradona, Zidane, and Ronaldo. And now another has emerged. That’s Yamal. What he is showing right now is an abnormal level.”
Yamal has played in 49 matches this season, overcoming injuries with 15 goals and 24 assists, totaling 39 attacking points. Ferdinand even referred to him as a candidate for this season's Ballon d'Or.
Barcelona aims to advance to the finals through the second leg away match against Inter Milan on the 7th.
[Photo] Yamal ⓒGettyimages (Reprinting and redistribution prohibited)
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