With his career coming to an end, Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, said his successor is Moroccan-Spanish rising star Lamine Yamal, who plays for Barcelona and has chosen to represent the Spanish national team. «There is a very good generation of young players who have many years ahead of them», Messi said in response to a question while participating in an event organized by Adidas in Germany. «If I had to choose someone because of their age and their future, I heard that Lamine Yamal has been nominated, and I totally agree. It's true. Everything depends on him and many factors because this is the world of football, but he represents the present and he definitely has a great future». At 17, Yamal has already broken records as Spain's youngest player in a major tournament semifinal, scoring against France in the UEFA European Championship and assisting in Spain's 2-1 win over England, securing the team's record win. He has made 19 appearances for Barcelona this season in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists. He was awarded this year's Kopa Trophy, becoming the youngest winner of this prize. Messi and Yamal have similar careers, having started from Barcelona's La Masia academy, are both left-footed, and were drafted into the first team at a young age. The two players met for the first time when Yamal was still a baby. Back in 2007, a Barcelona-based photographer did a photoshoot for UNICEF and Barcelona, capturing then-20-year-old Lionel Messi holding baby Yamal as he was bathed by his mother.
