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Neymar has rarely been as direct about a young player as he was when speaking about Lamine Yamal recently. The comments come from a deeper connection between the two built over time, respect, and shared admiration.
The link between Neymar and Yamal started long before any public praise.
Yamal has openly said Neymar was his childhood idol, someone he studied closely growing up. He has described the Brazilian as the player who shaped his creativity, dribbling style, and attacking mindset.
That admiration later turned into real contact. In June 2025, Yamal spent part of his holidays in Brazil with Neymar. The two were seen playing beach soccer and footvolley together, exchanging shirts between Santos and Barcelona.
Since then, the relationship has continued to grow publicly. Neymar has reacted to Yamal’s performances on social media, calling him a “crack,” and even replicated one of his celebrations after scoring for Santos in 2026.
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Neymar’s recognition
“I truly believe that Lamine is one of the greatest teenage talents that football has ever seen,” Neymar said when he recently spoke of Yamal.
Then he went further, placing him in a category that very few players are ever mentioned in.“There was Messi, and there was me… what this boy is doing at 18 is simply unnatural.”
It’s a striking comparison because Neymar is speaking from experience. He knows what it means to break through early, to carry expectations, and to perform under global attention as a teenager.
Neymar also pointed to impact in decisive moments.“I felt for him when he went out of the Champions League… he gave everything. He was the spark that started the comeback.”
At FC Barcelona, Yamal has already become central to the team’s attacking phases. He is not being protected as a young talent anymore, he is trusted in the moments that decide matches.
The connection between the two players is also visible in how they play.
While Lionel Messi is often used as a reference point for Barcelona talents, teammates like Raphinha have suggested Yamal’s style feels closer to Neymar, especially in how quickly he reads defenders during dribbles and how naturally he takes risks in 1v1 situations.
Neymar closed his assessment with clear ambition for Yamal’s future. “His time is coming… I hope he wins the Champions League next year, and why not the Ballon d’Or too?”
And then he ended simply: “Lamine is a very special player. I’ll always keep supporting him.”
