Yamal made his preference clear when it comes to naming the best active athlete in football, with the Barcelona teenager choosing Messi over his Portuguese rival Ronaldo. His admiration for Messi comes as no surprise, given his upbringing in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. The young winger joined the club’s youth ranks at just six years old in 2014, the same year the Blaugrana clinched the Champions League title with Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez forming the iconic ‘MSN’ attacking trio.
WHAT YAMAL SAID
When asked by Mundo Deportivo to name the best current athlete in world football, the Barcelona wonderkid replied in one word: “Messi.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite also idolising Neymar during his childhood, Yamal did not select the Brazilian as his ideal signing when asked to pick one player to bring to Barcelona this summer. Instead, he opted for Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
“You want me to say Neymar… but no: Musiala, who has a contract,” he stated.
The 17-year-old also provided insights into his daily life and challenges as a professional footballer. When asked what he finds more difficult between gym workouts and maintaining a diet, he admitted that the two go hand in hand but ultimately singled out dieting as the tougher aspect.
Source goal.com
