Lamine Yamal now wears the number 10: "Messi made his way, I'm going to make mine."

Lamine Yamal took on the challenge of wearing Lionel Messi 's number 10 on Wednesday amid controversy surrounding his 18th birthday party. "Messi has made his way, I'm going to make mine. Now the number 10 goes from Ansu to Lamine," he stated during the event where his contract renewal with Barcelona was announced until 2031.

In addition to admitting that he dreams of being like Messi, the young striker remembered Ronaldinho and Rivaldo : "I would keep everything from each of them and I'm grateful for what they've given to the club."

After a season wearing the number 27, Yamal followed in Messi's footsteps a year ago by taking the number 19, which the Argentine wore at Camp Nou between 2005 and 2008. Ansu Fati inherited Messi's number 10 in 2021, when the Argentine – currently at Inter Miami – left Barça to join PSG. Hampered by a series of injuries, Fati failed to fulfill his potential at Barça and was eventually loaned to Monaco in early July.

"I hope to enjoy it even more."

Yamal, 18, often compared to Messi, helped Barça win a treble last season: La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup. So his next challenge is to win the Champions League: "My goal is to win it. And also the World Cup. We have to keep growing because we're a very young team, but we also have to enjoy ourselves because when we all enjoy ourselves, the world is happier, we play better, and we win." "I hope it's a very long road and one full of victories. I hope to enjoy myself even more than last year and continue winning titles," the Barça star stated.

As for praise, Yamal noted that if it doesn't come from his family, he's "indifferent." "I don't care about criticism or praise if it doesn't come from people in my family. I try to enjoy football every day, show what I'm capable of, and that's it," he added.

"I enjoy my life"

Yamal has scored 25 goals since making his debut in 2023, aged just 15 and wearing the number 41 shirt. However, in recent days, the winger has been in the spotlight for the controversial private event that involved the hiring of entertainers with dwarfism.

"I work for Barça, but when I'm away from the training ground, I enjoy my life," he concluded. The Ministry of Social Rights has asked the prosecutor's office to investigate the party following a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).