Barcelona are set to give Lamine Yamal a new squad number this season once worn by Lionel Messi.
If you hadn’t heard of Lamine Yamal before this summer, you’re likely aware of him now.
The 17-year-old prodigy made a significant impact at Euro 2024 for Spain, delivering several dynamic performances that contributed to his country’s historic fourth tournament victory.
Having only made his senior Spain debut in September at age 16, Yamal scored once and provided four assists in seven games during Euro 2024, earning the title of UEFA’s Young Player of the Tournament.
His goal in the semi-final against France made him the youngest ever scorer in European Championship history.
Yamal first appeared for Barcelona’s senior team in April 2023, coming on as a substitute in a La Liga match against Real Betis.
At just 15 years, nine months, and 16 days old, Yamal became the youngest player to debut in a league game for the club, surpassing Ansu Fati’s previous record by a full year.
Initially, Yamal wore the number 41 shirt for his debut, reflecting his status as a young academy player. Last season, he wore number 27, but he is expected to change his number again for the 2024-25 season.
According to Jijantes, Barcelona will assign the number 19 jersey to 16-year-old Yamal, a shirt with notable historical significance at Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi wore the number 19 from 2005 to 2008 before switching to the iconic number 10, which he wore until his exit in 2021.
This is a significant honor for Yamal, though it won’t be completely new to him, as he wore the same number for Spain at Euro 2024.
Considering Yamal’s exceptional talent, he appears to be a fitting successor to Messi’s former number. This connection is underscored by the well-known photo of a 20-year-old Messi holding a young Yamal during a charity calendar shoot in 2007.
