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Lamine Yamal in no mood to follow Lionel Messi's path after inheriting iconic no 10 jersey at Barcelona: ‘I’m going to…’
Yamal is widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football, with Barca reportedly inserting a €1 billion release clause into his contract.
La Masia prodigy Lamine Yamal has officially been handed FC Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 jersey, following a sensational 2024–25 season in which he scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists across all competitions. The 17-year-old played a key role in Barcelona's domestic treble, helping the Catalan giants top La Liga with 88 points, 107 goals scored, and just 39 conceded. The team also lifted the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana, defeating arch-rivals Real Madrid in both finals—where Yamal chipped in with a goal and an assist apiece.
The jersey presentation came just days after Yamal’s 18th birthday. Attending the ceremony with his grandmother, the young Spaniard received the legendary number worn by club greats like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Diego Maradona.
The No. 10 shirt had been passed to fellow La Masia graduate Ansu Fati after Messi's 2021 departure to PSG. However, Fati has struggled with injuries and form, spending time away on loan. Most recently, he joined AS Monaco—known for producing talents like Kylian Mbappé and Anthony Martial—on loan with an option to buy. With his exit, the number became available once more, and Barcelona chose Yamal as its new bearer.
Yamal is widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football, with Barcelona reportedly inserting a €1 billion release clause into his contract. His ambition, however, stretches far beyond contracts and numbers.
Speaking at the unveiling, the teenager set bold targets for the upcoming season:
“My goals for this new season? Winning the Champions League and the World Cup. These are my goals now,” said Yamal, referencing Spain’s recent triumph at the Euros and Barcelona’s domestic sweep.
Barcelona haven’t won the Champions League since the 2014–15 campaign—Messi’s final UCL-winning season in the No. 10 shirt. Yamal, while respectful of his predecessors, is determined to forge his own legacy.
“Messi made his own path. I’m going to make mine. The No. 10 came from Ansu now, so I will try to make all the Culers happy—those at the stadium and those watching from home,” he said, as quoted by Barca Universal.
He also paid tribute to past legends who donned the number before him.
“I hope so—they’re three football legends, three club legends. I’d take something from each of them. I’m grateful for the club’s trust and will try to continue that legacy,” he added.
To date, Lamine Yamal has scored 25 goals and assisted 34 more in 106 appearances for Barcelona—a record that’s only expected to grow as he enters this new chapter in the famed No. 10 shirt.
