“There are still things he needs to learn” - Barcelona icon Luis Suarez insists Lamine Yamal must ‘improve’ despite marking an era in football
Barcelona icon Luis Suarez has heaped praise on Lamine Yamal. However, he claimed that he needs to continue to improve and enjoy his football.
Lamine Yamal has taken the world by storm at just 17 years of age. He made his senior debut for Barcelona at 15 and has become a key player for the side. He has also become a starter for the Spanish national team. He is one of the contenders for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
Luis Suarez, who spent six years at Barca, recently shared his thoughts on Yamal. He told DAZN (via Barca Blaugranes):
“Lamine is a player who is showing maturity at an early age compared to others. He shows great maturity at the age of 17. He takes responsibility when he participates in important matches, and he has challenges that he imposes on himself as a Barcelona fan. I am very happy for him.
“He has to continue to enjoy himself and continue to gain experience in order to continue to improve. There are still things he needs to learn, as we all learned when we were 18, 20, or 25 years old. He is marking an era and making a big difference.”
Yamal has scored 25 goals and provided 34 assists in 106 games for the Catalan club.
Former Barcelona and Real Madrid forward on comparison between Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono
Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Franco Mastantuono from River Plate on Friday, June 13. The left-footed midfielder joins the club as a 17-year-old, and hence, there have been some comparisons with Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
However, Javier Savola, who joined Barca from River Plate in 2001, doesn't see any similarity. He said (via Managing Madrid):
“It reminds me a lot of my first steps. I made my debut for River Plate when I was 16, and by 19 I was already at Barça. Mastantuono is now experiencing something similar.
"For me, he is nothing like Lamine Yamal. But he does resemble James Rodríguez. He’s a player Real Madrid likes.”
Real Madrid have signed Mastantuono for a reported fee of €45 million. He has made 61 senior appearances for River Plate, recording 10 goals and seven assists. He also made his senior debut for Argentina on June 5.
Lamine Yamal, meanwhile, had an exceptional 2024-25 campaign, recording 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games across competitions. He helped Barcelona beat Real Madrid in all four El Clasicos, winning all three domestic trophies.
