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Next Lionel Messi? Lamine Yamal Told Kylian Mbappe Is ‘Closer’ To GOAT Status After Barcelona Wonderkid Is Likened To Cristiano Ronaldo & Diego Maradona

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The hype around Lamine Yamal continues to rise, and with every magical touch he makes for Barcelona, the world keeps asking the same question:
Is this the next Lionel Messi?

But while the football universe gets carried away with comparisons, former Real Madrid star Guti has stepped in with a reality check—saying Kylian Mbappe, not Yamal, is “closer” to true GOAT status.

The Messi, Ronaldo & Maradona Comparison

Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente has openly compared Yamal to some of football’s highest peaks:

Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Diego Maradona

De la Fuente believes that if the 18-year-old stays injury-free and develops at his current rate, he could become a player of an era. That’s extremely rare air for any footballer, especially one barely old enough to vote.

Yamal has already won trophies, shattered age-related records, and picked up major individual awards like the Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy. The talent is unquestionable—and the future looks ridiculously bright.

Yamal: “I’m Not Trying To Be Messi”

With all the noise, Yamal has tried to cool things down. Speaking to CBS, he made it clear that he’s not trying to be the next Messi:

“Messi is the best footballer of all time… but I want to follow my own path.”

He respects the comparisons but wants to build his own name, not live in the shadow of one of football’s biggest ever icons.

Guti Weighs In: “Mbappe Is Closer To GOAT Status”

While praising Yamal’s insane potential, Guti urged fans to slow down. Comparing an 18-year-old to legends who dominated football for a decade? Not so fast.

Guti said:

“Maradona won a World Cup almost alone. Messi and Cristiano scored 50 goals a season for 10 years. That’s nearly impossible to match.”

Then came the big line:

“I see Kylian as closer to achieving it than Lamine.”

And honestly, it’s hard to argue. Mbappe has been smashing records since his teens, won a World Cup, played in two World Cup finals, posted monster goal numbers, and is now rewriting history at Real Madrid.

Yamal is extraordinary—but Mbappe is already operating at a historic level.

Final Thoughts

The future of football looks bright with talents like Yamal emerging, but calling someone “the next Messi” is no small thing. If he keeps working, keeps improving, and avoids the hype trap, he may write his name alongside the greats one day.

But for now?
The GOAT race still runs through Mbappe, Messi, and Ronaldo.