—Reuters
BARCELONA: Three days after turning 18, Lamine Yamal received the most special gift of all — Barcelona’s iconic number 10 shirt, capping a remarkable breakthrough season for the youngster.
Although the electric winger has eschewed comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, he has followed in the Argentine’s footsteps by taking the number 10, also worn by Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho among other historic Barca stars.
“I will try to continue this legacy,” said Yamal told reporters on Wednesday, undaunted by the shirt’s history. “Messi paved the way with the number 10, I will make mine. They are three football and club legends.
“Every kid dreams of having something from Messi, Ronaldinho and Maradona. First, my dream was to debut for Barca and wear the number 10. Everyone who grows up here dreams of that. I’m grateful to the club.”
Yamal earned the jersey after a stellar campaign where he netted 18 goals and provided 25 assists as Barcelona swept the domestic treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup while they reached the Champions League semi-finals.
The teenager, who wore the number 19 shirt last season, had already committed his long-term future to the club, signing a contract extension in May that will keep him at Barcelona until 2031.
On Wednesday, he received the number 10 shirt from club president Joan Laporta in a special ceremony at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium.
The number 10 shirt carries enormous weight at the Camp Nou, having been worn by Messi during his trophy-laden tenure at the club that shaped his career.
The Argentine claimed 34 trophies with Barcelona and departed as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 672 goals, although he left after the 2020-21 season due to the club’s financial troubles.
Following Messi’s exit, the jersey was passed to young winger Ansu Fati but the now 22-year-old failed to live up to his early promise and he was eventually loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Fati will spend next season on loan at AS Monaco, clearing the way for Yamal to inherit one of football’s most famous shirt numbers.
Having also won the European Championship with Spain last year, Yamal said his next goal was to win the titles that are missing from his trophy cabinet.
“I haven’t won the Champions League and the World Cup,” he said. “These are my goals now. I will work as hard as I can, give everything and try to make those Barca fans who are there happy and those who are at home.”
Yamal made headlines after celebrating his 18th birthday last weekend with a private event involving hired entertainers with dwarfism.
Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights asked the public prosecutor to investigate the party after a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).
“In the end I work for Barca, I play for Barca, but when I’m away from [the club] I enjoy my life, and that’s all,” he added.
Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2025
