Lamine Yamal: 'I Don't Aspire to Be Like Messi… I Want to Be Myself'

Lamine Yamal, the Spanish winger for Barcelona, revealed that he feels proud when compared to the legend Lionel Messi, but he refuses to be merely an extension of a previous name or the shadow of a historic number. In an interview with the "60 Minutes" program, he said, "I respect him for what he represents in the world of football. If we meet, we will show mutual respect. He is the best player in history."

He continued, "I don't aspire to be like Messi; he knows that I'm not trying to be him or wear the number 10 like him. I want to be myself, and there will be mutual respect if we play against each other."