Is Lamine Yamal better than Messi? Afrobeat star drops his opinion

Nigerian Afrobeat star has sparked a heated debate online after boldly claiming that Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal is better than Lionel Messi at 17, Soccernet.ng reports.

Following Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final at Estadio La Cartuja, the musician took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share his opinion on Yamal’s incredible performance.

In a post, the “Declan Rice” crooner believes the Argentine legend was not performing at this level at the current age of the Spanish midfielder.

“Yamal is better than Lionel Messi. Na me kala talk am. At 17, Messi was not touching these levels. I saw him live. I saw him, you cannot whine me. Nobody can whine me,” he wrote.

YAMAL IS BETTER THAN LIONEL MESSI

NA ME

KALA TALK AM

AT 17 MESSI WAS NOT TOUCHING THIS LEVELS

I SAW HIM LIVE.

I SAW HIM YOU CANNOT WHINE ME

NOBODY CAN WHINE ME

— INDUSTRY MACHINE ⚙️ (@Odumodublvck_) April 27, 2025

Lamine Yamal, who will turn 17 in July, has been firing on all cylinders for Barcelona this season, recently producing two key assists, which were crucial in Barca’s recent victory over Real Madrid.

Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona during the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca [Photo credit/Imago]His performances have earned him comparisons to some of the greatest players the club has ever produced — but comparisons to Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, remain controversial.

While many agree that Yamal’s talent is extraordinary, others believe it is still too early to put him in the same bracket as Messi, who won his first Ballon d’Or at just 22 years old.

Lionel Messi bathing Lamine Yamal (Photo credit: Associated Press)
For now, the teenage prodigy will continue to impress for both club and country. If he keeps this up, he could very well surpass Messi’s record as the all-time best.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.

Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.