Lamine Yamal shuts down GOAT debate with blunt Lionel Messi admission: ‘If anyone has doubts…’

Lamine Yamal offered a glowing assessment of Lionel Messi, insisting the World Cup hero has long settled the debate over football's greatest-ever player.

Lamine Yamal has weighed in on football’s GOAT debate by naming Lionel Messi as the best in history, following the Argentine captain’s stunning display against Algeria. Messi scored his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, delivering a performance that underlined why he remains at the pinnacle of the game. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner dictated proceedings with his trademark brilliance, combining vision, creativity and clinical finishing. With his 39th birthday approaching later this month, Messi once again proved that age has done little to diminish his influence, matching the sport’s emerging stars on football’s biggest stage.

Lamine Yamal calls Lionel Messi the best in history. (AFP Images)

Barcelona and Spain starlet Yamal offered a glowing assessment of Messi, insisting the World Cup hero has long settled the debate over football's greatest-ever player. While admitting that his personal idol is Neymar, Yamal said Messi's consistency and brilliance leave little room for argument when it comes to the GOAT discussion.

“Every match proves he’s the best in history. If anyone has doubts, it’s because they’re looking for them. There’s nothing more to say. My idol is Neymar, but Messi is the best,” he told RTVE.

“Not time to play a full match yet”: Yamal

“I’m fine, I feel good, but it’s still too soon,” Yamal told Spanish network RTVE. “It’s unnecessary (to take risks). I’m going through an adaptation process, it’s not the time to play a full match yet. But I can play as many minutes as the coach wants.”

The growing stature of Yamal was impossible to miss during Spain's World Cup campaign, with the teenager's image dominating the skyline around Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Asked about his rising global profile, Yamal insisted he remains focused on delivering for supporters whenever he steps onto the pitch.

“I’m taking it naturally, it’s something I’m used to,” Yamal said about his popularity. “I know what I represent both outside of Spain and in Spain. I try to always give my best, that’s what the fans want. If you have your image on that building, it’s because you can do things on the field that people like, things that excite them when they see you play.”