Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal has officially taken over the club’s iconic number 10 shirt, famously worn by Lionel Messi, and vowed to create his own legacy at the Catalan giants.
Speaking at an event at the Spotify Camp Nou club shop on Wednesday, the 18-year-old addressed comparisons with the legendary Argentine: “Messi made his path and I will make mine. I will work as hard as I can, give everything and try to make those Barca fans who are there happy and those who are at home.”
Yamal, who helped Barcelona secure a domestic treble last season, has quickly become one of the club’s standout talents. In May, he signed a new deal keeping him at the club until 2031, becoming one of the highest-paid players in the squad.
“I hope to enjoy myself more than last year and make my dreams come true,” he said. “I want to win the Champions League with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain.”
The talented winger made his first-team debut in 2023 at just 15 years old, initially wearing the number 41 shirt. He then switched to number 27, and last summer adopted the number 19 — the same shirt Messi wore between 2005 and 2008.
“Barca is my life. I’ve been here since I was seven. For all kids from La Masia, their dream is to make it to the first team, and I’m doing it. I have to keep working,” Yamal reflected. “When I was little, I dreamed of being at Barca and having this number.”
The number 10 shirt has a rich history at Barcelona, previously worn by footballing icons like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and most notably, Messi.
Ansu Fati had inherited the number in 2021 following Messi’s departure, but after a series of injuries and inconsistent form, he was loaned to AS Monaco earlier this month.
Reflecting on the legacy of his predecessors, Yamal said, “Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho — they are three legends of football, three legends of this club. I am grateful for what they gave the club, and I will try to continue this legacy.”
Yamal, who has already netted 25 goals in over 100 appearances for the club, recently found himself in the spotlight for reasons off the pitch.
His private 18th birthday celebration reportedly involved entertainers with dwarfism, drawing criticism from advocacy groups and prompting Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights to refer the matter to the public prosecutor following a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).
Addressing the controversy, Yamal responded: “In the end, I work for Barca, I play for Barca, but when I’m away from the club, I enjoy my life — and that’s all.”
With the weight of the number 10 shirt now on his shoulders, Yamal enters the new season with great expectations, and a clear resolve to write his own chapter in Barcelona’s storied history.