Lamine Yamal: Barcelona forward targets history rather than comparisons with Messi and Pele

Lamine Yamal says his ambition is to leave a lasting mark on football rather than measure himself against legends such as Lionel Messi and Pele.

The Spain and Barcelona player told French newspaper L’Equipe that his motivation was to create a legacy that would still be remembered decades from now.

“I play to make history, so that children can say in 30 years: ‘He was a great player,’” said Yamal.

The 17-year-old added that he had no desire to establish himself as better than the game’s greatest figures, or to frame his career through comparisons with other players.

“I do not think about being better than Pele or Messi, and I do not want to compare myself with others,” he said.

Yamal instead wants his own identity to define his career and believes he has the ability to join football’s elite.

“I want to be Lamine Yamal and for my name to be mentioned among the greats,” he said. “I have the ability to do that.”

His ambitions also include sustained success at club level. Yamal said winning the Champions League would be an important target, but that one triumph would only increase his desire for more.

“I want to win the Champions League,” he said. “If I win it once, I will want to win it three times in a row. If I do not win the Ballon d’Or, I will win it the following year.”

Yamal has already won three Spanish league titles and is aiming to add considerably more domestic honours to his record.

“I have won three Spanish league titles, and I want to win at least seven or eight league titles,” he said.

The winger said his competitiveness was driven by a long-term vision of being able to look back on his achievements with his children.

“When I sit with my children at home in the future, I want to be able to tell them: ‘It is your turn now,’” Yamal said.

“That is my mentality: win, win, win.”