Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo has stirred debate with his assessment of Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, whom he believes offers more to the game than Kylian Mbappé.
Speaking to reporters, Parejo contrasted the two high-profile attackers, explaining why he sees Yamal as the more complete and intelligent footballer.
Yamal, who has Equatorial Guinean and Moroccan roots, has risen rapidly to prominence with his performances for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
The 17-year-old forward has drawn widespread praise for his creativity, vision, and composure in key moments, all of which Parejo believes set him apart from more established stars.
“Kylian Mbappé surprised me as a player. What he does is crazy,” Parejo said. “But I understand football differently. For me, Lamine Yamal contributes much more by scoring 20 goals less than Mbappé. Yamal is a boy who was touched by a magic wand.”
He went on to highlight the teenager’s natural grasp of the game: “He has an incredible amount of resources, he is special, he has something that others don’t have: the understanding of the game. It’s incredible that at 17 he understands it in this way.”
Parejo also referenced Yamal’s recent standout moment for Spain: “It’s not just about scoring a great goal for Spain against France, but knowing how to play every ball.”
