This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Best in the World’—Barcelona President Weighs in on Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi Comparisons. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has named Lamine Yamal as the best player in the world right now as he acknowledged the 18-year-old has flashed signs of an early Lionel Messi.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta spoke about the comparisons being drawn between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. Just a few weeks ago, Barcelona announced that Lamine Yamal would be the new wearer of the iconic No.

The 18-year-old has also inherited the famous number 10 shirt at the club, drawing more comparisons to Barcelona icon Lionel Messi