The world of football is increasingly acknowledging the talent of one of the players who, if he continues on the upward trajectory he is demonstrating, is destined to be one of the best in the world: Lamine Yamal. On this occasion, it was the former footballer of FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team, Rivaldo, who expressed his fascination with the way he plays and everything he is achieving at his young age. In an interview with the media outlet 'Mundo Deportivo,' he shared his opinion on several matters regarding the young Barça star.
Initially, Rivaldo did not hesitate to talk a bit about the footballing tools of Lamine Yamal, highlighting what, in his opinion, makes this talent stand out in his category. He also emphasized how the '19' of the Blaugrana team has adapted to the professional football environment and exhibited skills typical of a seasoned player, despite being only 17 years old. "Lamine is a great player, he has qualities of very experienced players, he is a player who enjoys football and makes the fans enjoy. He has already been a European champion, he is doing a good job at the club and I am sure that in the future he will win the Ballon d'Or," he affirmed.
However, Rivaldo, after praising all the great sporting performances of Lamine Yamal, wanted to be emphatic about a topic that he believes could affect the performance of the Spanish-Moroccan forward, relating it to the constant comparisons made between the Barça star and a football legend like Lionel Messi. "When you see a player like Lamine doing what he does at just 17 years old, the reference is Messi. It is not good to make comparisons, especially with Messi, who has conquered everything at the club, you have to work hard to be compared to Messi. Time will tell if he can reach Messi's level, surpass it, or fall below...," he warned.
Rivaldo explained the qualities that make Lamine Yamal's game special
Following that, Rivaldo has once again spoken wonders about the Barça forward; however, this time he has been more expressive and has explained why he likes Lamine Yamal's football so much, describing him as a very complete player in all aspects of the offensive game. "He is a player I love, he will go far because he is a quality player, who plays with joy. I enjoy watching Barça when he is on the field, I enjoy it a lot because he is different, he makes a difference in a football that is very tactical today and stands out. He does everything well: he knows how to dribble well, shoot, pause... any coach would be delighted to have him on their team," he concluded.
To conclude his comments on Lamine Yamal, Rivaldo has emphasized the need to protect him as a player. However, he has not limited this protection exclusively to the Rocafonda forward, but has also called for the protection of players who, like the right winger, seek to display attractive football and are often victims of the excessive physical rigor of their opponents, who have no other solution to stop them than resorting to constant fouls. "Protection must be given, not only to him, but to all players who take the field to entertain and penalize those who only kick. There are many games nowadays and that care must be taken, players cannot play every game. Barça is doing well with him," he concluded.