Messi and I have already made history, now it’s Lamine Yamal’s turn: Ronaldinho

Published on May 21, 2025

NEW DELHI — Barcelona and Brazil legend Ronaldinho hopes Lamine Yamal can go on to have a career like he and Lionel Messi had, saying a player like the Spanish wonderkid "are good for football".
On April 29, 2023, Yamal was 15 years, 9 months and 16 days old when he made his league debut against Betis, making him the youngest player ever to appear in a competitive fixture for the team and his legend has only grown since then.
"Messi and I have already made history, now it's Lamine Yamal's turn. What he's shown so far, at such a young age and with so much talent, is extraordinary. I like watching players like him; they're good for football. I hope he can have a career like ours," said Ronaldinho to Spanish new outlet Marca.

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He has since become one of their most lethal forwards and is one of the most promising players in the world. He has represented the Catalonian side on 114 occasions while scoring 25 goals and dishing out 34 assists. His season tally stands at 18 goals and 25 assists and he led Barca to a historic domestic treble.
Although comparisons naturally arise when a player of his potential bursts onto the scene, Ronaldinho believes every player is unique and hopes Yamal continues to grow.
"I've never liked those kinds of comparisons because every footballer has his own unique style of play. The important thing is that Lamine Yamal brings joy to the people, like I did in my time, or like Messi did later. I hope he continues the potential he's shown to date," he added.
Whilst praising Yamal, Ronaldinho was also asked about Brazil’s Vinicius Jr’s Ballon d’Or snub in 2024 . The 2005 winner of one of the most prestigious accolades in the game admitted that the Madrid forward was ‘unfairly overlooked’ after Manchester City’s Rodrygo was awarded the honour.
"Vinicius was unfairly overlooked for the Ballon d'Or. He's been winning the biggest competitions for years, even scoring decisive goals in Champions League finals. I think he would have deserved it.