Three days after turning 18, Lamine Yamal received the most special gift of all — Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 shirt. Although the gifted teenaged winger, who wore the No. 19 last season, has eschewed comparisons to all-time Barcelona great Lionel Messi, he has followed in the Argentine’s footsteps by taking the No. 10 shirt, also worn by Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho among other stars.

Honouring legends 

“I’ll try to build my own path, but all kids would like to be like them,” Yamal said on Wednesday at the club’s announcement. “All three have been incredible players, they’re legends, and I’ll try to follow in their footsteps,” he added. Having turned 18, Yamal was able to sign the contract extension that he had agreed with Barcelona in May, keeping him in place until 2031.

“My goal is to keep winning and growing. It’s the club of my life. I’ve been here since I was seven years old,” said Yamal, who has already made over 100 appearances for the club, scoring 25 goals, and winning two La Liga titles since his debut at the age of 15 in 2023.