What makes Lamine Yamal so special?

 Lamine Yamal. The boy has taken the world by storm. Wonderkids come and go in football. Some become world stars while some fade away due to multiple reasons. But Yamal is not just destined to be a star. There can be an argument he's already the best player in the world at 17. With his dazzling dribbling, effortless play and composure beyond his years, Yamal is just not another La Masia graduate. He's the heir to the immortal Lionel Messi. But what exactly sets him apart from the rest?

Built for the Big moments

Many players look levels above everyone else in youth football but fail to make it big in senior football. It most of the times comes down to one thing. Their physicality. When players break through at 17 or 18, sometimes their bodies are not developed enough. They are lightweight compared to the other senior players. This make their bodies susceptible to breaking down and makes them injury prone. Ansu Fati broke through at Barcelona but became injury prone. Charles Alena could not make it due to him being dominated in the midfield due to his physical traits.

    But Yamal shows incredible agility and balance along with enough strength to take his opponents on. This was crucial in his success from youth football translating to senior football. His blend of athleticism and resilience is one of the biggest reasons he could be in for a long haul at the top level.

The Technical Brilliance of Yamal

You watch some players and instantly become mesmerized by their play. Yamal is one of them. From his first touch to his vision in the final third, he's pure La Masia. He can make a difference with every action he does on the pitch. One dribble, one pass can open up the opposing defence. He has elite 1v1 qualities and can retain the ball. His combination of mobility and technical quality screams elite. 

Yamal plays with "pausa" while operating at an insane speed. This is a trait only great players have. Messi was the best player in the world because he dictated attacks whilst scoring an obscene amount of goals. Yamal is closer to that than the likes to Mbappe, Vinicius and Salah. There's no point in doing further analysis, he's the best 17 year old the world has ever seen.

Arrogance in his play

You cannot be a great player unless you have a certain arrogance around you, a certain confidence. Yamal’s self belief is insane. Elite mentality. He made his debut for Barcelona at 15. Many players make their debut at 18-19 and don't show enough confidence on the pitch to make a difference. But not Yamal.

Yamal after scoring against Real in the Copa Del Rey final

He always steps up when his team needs him. He has already scored in the biggest of games and he's fearless, willing to take responsibility in those moments. He said earlier in the season "Even if we concede one goal, two goals, no problem. This year they can't beat us." on Real Madrid. Barcelona have gone 4/4 on Real this season and Yamal has stepped up in every game traumatizing the Real defence. This is the sort of confidence that makes him one of the best in the world. 

Things change in football in an instant. You never know which player fades away and which player rises every season. Many highly rated wonderkids have failed after bursting through taking the world by storm. Bojan, Alexandre Pato, Ibrahim Afellay and so many others. But Yamal is different. Of course you never know in football but Yamal is not going to fade away that easily. The future looks trophy and glory laden for the most exciting teenager the world has seen since Wayne Rooney. 

By Parth Gokhale