Not since Messi have Barca fans been able to enjoy watching such a mercurial yet effective player as Yamal represent their beloved club. And the teen’s statistics at this tender age already project a greater career even than that of Messi - for many, the greatest player in the history of the sport.

During an interview last year, Lamine Yamal revealed the three Barcelona icons that he idolised while he was growing up. The 17-year-old has been thrust into the limelight over the past couple of years and is nowadays considered one of the best players in the world.

Barcelona ’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has been told he is still only the ‘third-best player in the world’ despite his Champions League heroics against Inter Milan. Yamal, 17, helped keep Barca in their semi-final tie against Inter with a quite brilliant performance at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium.