Lamine Yamal has snubbed Neymar when naming his dream summer signing for Barcelona, and put Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as an "athlete".
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Yamal idolises former Barca star NeymarYet chose Musiala over the Brazilian as dream signingPicked Messi as the best 'current athlete' ahead of RonaldoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Yamal made his preference clear when it comes to naming the best active athlete in football, with the Barcelona teenager choosing Messi over his Portuguese rival Ronaldo. His admiration for Messi comes as no surprise, given his upbringing in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. The young winger joined the club’s youth ranks at just six years old in 2014, the same year the Blaugrana clinched the Champions League title with Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez forming the iconic ‘MSN’ attacking trio.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT YAMAL SAID
When asked by to name the best current athlete in world football, the Barcelona wonderkid replied in one word: "Messi."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite also idolising Neymar during his childhood, Yamal did not select the Brazilian as his ideal signing when asked to pick one player to bring to Barcelona this summer. Instead, he opted for Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
"You want me to say Neymar… but no: Musiala, who has a contract," he stated.
The 17-year-old also provided insights into his daily life and challenges as a professional footballer. When asked what he finds more difficult between gym workouts and maintaining a diet, he admitted that the two go hand in hand but ultimately singled out dieting as the tougher aspect.
DID YOU KNOW?
Yamal, who has previously mentioned an interest in cooking, was also quizzed on his go-to dish. His response was: “French fries with chicken nuggets. It's the easiest!”
As one of the most high-profile teenagers in football, Yamal’s life has drastically changed since breaking into the first team. When asked what he misses most from his previous life before fame, he pointed out the simple joys of everyday activities. "Being able to go to a park for a walk or to Granollers," he said, referencing his hometown in Catalonia.