Laporta: "Messi was the best in the world; Lamine Yamal has the potential to be"

It's hard to speak of Lamine Yamal and not think of Leo Messi. Not because the Spaniard has matched Leo's feats, but because of what he had achieved at just 18 years old. Laporta dismisses comparisons, urging caution despite rising expectations.

The Barcelona president is clearly delighted with the club's Asian tour. In Japan, ahead of their match against Tokyo FC, he spoke about La Masia's brightest prospect.

"Messi was the best player in the world, and I believe Lamine has the potential to become the best in the world. Time will tell," the Barcelona chief told CNN. "Lamine is a unique talent, a true genius playing at the very highest level," he added.

Laporta noted similarities between the greatest '10' in Barcelona's history and Yamal's qualities: "Lamine possesses immense personality. Messi, in his era, shared that trait. Of course, Messi won everything, achieved everything. For me, he's arguably the greatest player in history." However, he was keen to differentiate them: "Lamine is Lamine and Messi is Messi."

"The footballing world evolves, and new geniuses constantly emerge. Today, we see players like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha... incredibly talented players. I mention those from Barcelona, but naturally, there are fantastic footballers in other teams as well," he concluded.