Steven Gerrard backs Lamine Yamal to reach heights beyond Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard believes Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has the potential to reach a level beyond the current generation of football superstars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 19-year-old has already established himself among the most exciting talents in world football following his remarkable breakthrough at Barcelona and with the Spanish national team.

Yamal’s rapid rise since 2023 has brought significant success, with the teenager winning two LaLiga titles with Barcelona, alongside the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup with Spain.

His individual numbers have also strengthened his growing reputation. Yamal has scored 62 goals in 167 club appearances, while registering 37 assists in LaLiga alone, remarkable figures for a player who is still in the early stages of his professional career.

His performances have inevitably invited comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo, two players widely regarded as the greatest footballers of their generation.

Although both legends required time to reach their extraordinary levels at Manchester United and Barcelona respectively, Yamal’s development at the same age has already placed him ahead of where they were at comparable stages of their careers.

Gerrard, who faced some of the game’s greatest players during his illustrious career, believes the Barcelona youngster possesses the ability to take that conversation even further, provided he continues developing.

Gerrard places Yamal above Mbappe and Haaland

While acknowledging the quality of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, Gerrard believes Yamal possesses something special that separates him from other leading attackers in world football.

The former Liverpool midfielder considers the Barcelona teenager a potential generational talent capable of reaching unprecedented heights if he maintains his current trajectory.

“He’s the one player I would say who potentially has that level, if he continues to evolve,” Gerrard said.

“Mbappe and Haaland are around there, in terms of being in their prime years right now, but it seems to me that Lamine is one who’s just a bit above that.”

Gerrard’s assessment highlights the exceptional impression Yamal has made despite competing against established superstars who are already enjoying the peak years of their careers.

At just 19, the Spaniard has become a central figure at Barcelona, with his technical ability, creativity and confidence making him one of the most difficult attackers to contain.

However, Gerrard believes talent alone will not determine whether Yamal eventually reaches the heights achieved by Messi and Ronaldo.

Keeping Yamal hungry is Barcelona’s biggest challenge

Beyond his technical qualities, Gerrard believes Barcelona must carefully manage Yamal’s development to ensure he retains the motivation and desire required to sustain success over a prolonged period.

The former England captain identified maintaining the teenager’s hunger as one of the biggest challenges facing the Spanish giants and those responsible for his development.

“The biggest challenge for him – and those around him at Barcelona – is how do they keep him hungry?”

Gerrard also drew comparisons between Yamal’s development and the early careers of Messi and Ronaldo, suggesting the teenager is already demonstrating qualities that were not evident in either player’s game at the same age.

“In terms of talent and potential, he’s doing things on a football pitch that I’ve never seen a 19-year-old do.”

He added: “He’s more advanced than Ronaldo was at 19. I played against Messi as a youngster, and he’s probably more advanced than he was too.”

The assessment is particularly significant given Gerrard’s experience of competing against both players during their respective periods of dominance in European football.

Can Yamal match Messi and Ronaldo’s consistency?

Despite his glowing assessment, Gerrard believes the ultimate measure of Yamal’s greatness will be his ability to sustain his performances and produce the extraordinary numbers that defined Messi and Ronaldo’s careers.

The two icons dominated world football for more than a decade, combining remarkable consistency with extraordinary goalscoring records and individual honours.

For Yamal to enter that conversation, Gerrard believes he must demonstrate that his current level can be maintained over several seasons while continuing to evolve his game.

“But, is he going to have the consistency which they both had? Can he get the goals they did – and will he evolve into a No.9?”

Those questions underline the challenge confronting the Barcelona forward as expectations continue to rise around him.

With major domestic and international honours already secured, Yamal has made an extraordinary start to his career.

However, translating that early promise into sustained dominance will determine whether he can eventually join Messi and Ronaldo among football’s all-time greats.