Lamine Yamal at 18: what's next for Barcelona's brilliant teenage star?

Lamine Yamal is now officially an adult. Barcelona’s brilliant young forward turned 18 earlier this week, having already achieved so much in a short career which seems set to elevate him to legend status and secure a place among the greats of the game. Perhaps even at the very top.

Yamal made his Barcelona bow as a 15-year-old, debuted for Spain at 16, won the European Championship just after his 17th birthday and has shattered an array of long-standing records already. All of that should be just the start.

The Spain forward celebrated his 18th birthday in a party which has caused controversy after he hired dwarves to perfom and women with “specific physical attributes” to attend. At his tender age, there is some concern he is not being managed in the best way, although a video filmed for his Barcelona contract renewal was more encouraging as he was surrounded by his family and centred on his young half-brother.

If football remains his priority, and he insists that is the case, then there is still so much he can go on to achieve in the next decade or more. So what is next for this special young talent?

Inheriting Messi’s number 10 shirt at Barcelona

With the dwarfism debate still raging on in some sectors of the Spanish media, it has now been made official that Yamal will wear the shirt of Barcelona’s most famous enano: Lionel Messi.

Following the departure of Ansu Fati to Monaco, the number became vacant and Yamal appears ready for the challenge of inheriting el diez, having already posted pictures of illustrious former Barça no. 10s Diego Maradona and Messi on his Instagram earlier in the summer.

And after his renewal, he said: “Messi has taken his path. I am going to take mine: now the 10 passes from Ansu to Lamine.” Fati, too, had been described by some as another Messi before his progress was interrupted by injuries. The comparison is unhelpful for any player, but if there's one man who perhaps has the potential to live up to Leo, it is Lamine.

Winning the Champions League

Barcelona’s 2024/25 season was the club’s finest in many years, with the Blaugrana winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España, beating Real Madrid four times along the way.

It was also Barça’s best season in the Champions League since 2018/19 as Hansi Flick’s side were narrowly beaten by Inter in a hugely entertaining semi-final tie which finished 7-6 in favour of the Italians after extra time in Milan.

It is a decade since Barcelona last won the Champions League, but the Catalans are challenging again and in Yamal, they have a player who can make the difference. “My aim is to win it,” he said this week. It seems just a question of time.

World Cup glory with Spain

The World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer and Yamal will be just 19 by the time the final comes around.

Having helped Spain to the title at Euro 2024, Yamal will be expected to deliver on an even greater stage and after saying his goal was to win the Champions League, he added: “And the World Cup.”

La Roja will be among the favourites to claim football’s biggest prize and even if Yamal cannot bring home the trophy next summer, his young age means he should have several more opportunities in future.

The Ballon d’Or

Towards the end of the 2024/25 season, it seemed likely that Lamine Yamal would win the Ballon d’Or for the campaign’s outstanding male footballer. But after Paris Saint-Germain’s treble triumph, Ousmane Dembélé is now the frontrunner to claim the prestigious individual award when it is handed out in September.

Missing out on the prize may actually be a blessing for Yamal at this stage of his career and serve as motivation for the teenager as he seeks to consolidate his impressive performances from the last couple of years.

If he can continue his development and keep improving, it is inevitable he will win the Ballon d’Or at some stage – and probably on multiple occasions. Reaching the eight Golden Balls collected by Messi will be much more difficult, but time is certainly on his side.