Thierry Henry thinks Lamine Yamal has the potential to match the careers and legacies of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The 17-year-old Yamal produced another world-class performance as Barcelona drew 3-3 with Inter Milan in a Champions League classic on Wednesday night, scoring a brilliant solo goal to open the Blaugrana’s account on the night.
Speaking to CBS Sports at full-time, Henry said he hoped his comments would not place too much pressure on the youngster’s shoulders.
He said: “It is great to see a new guy on the block who looks like he might be dominating football, and I wish that for him, but let's not put him under pressure.
“One thing that amazes me in football is you always think that there is nobody better than Ronaldo than Ronaldo and Messi, Gullit, Maradona, a lot of people, and then Lamine Yamal arrives.
“It is crazy to think that guy is 17 years old, it is just crazy, it is not normal.”
Yamal made his 100th Barcelona appearance on Wednesday - at the same age, Messi had just seven.
Jamie Carragher echoed Henry’s Messi comparison, and believes that Yamal is already among the best players in Europe, comparing him to other stars in prolific Man City striker Erling Haaland and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe.
“That was like watching Messi in his heyday,” he said. “When he got the ball, the whole game stopped as people wait to see what he's going to do.
“We always felt Mbappe and Haaland would be the next two [best players in the world after Messi and Ronaldo]. I don’t think Haaland will ever be that, he’s just an out-and-out goalscorer.
“The way Yamal played tonight, I won’t say he’s better than Mbappe now, but there is more to him. He will get involved in the game more and pull out wide.”
Barcelona will travel to Milan on Tuesday for the Champions League semi-final second leg.
