French star and world champion compares Lamine Yamal to Lionel Messi, but warns he can come off as arrogant

The comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are becoming unavoidable. Both made their debuts at an incredibly young age for FC Barcelona, and both quickly rose to prominence as generational talents. The excitement isn’t limited to fans or the press—respected voices in the football world are also weighing in.

One of them is Emmanuel Petit, the 1998 World Cup champion with France, who played for Arsenal and Chelsea before spending a season with Barcelona in 2000/01. In an interview with Diario AS, Petit said of Yamal: “He reminds me of Messi on the right wing. Every time he touches the ball, he creates danger. He attracts two or three defenders, which opens space for his teammates. That’s why Barça are so dangerous.”

With teammates like Raphinha and a strong midfield behind him, Yamal’s presence gives Barcelona multiple attacking threats—a hallmark of their most successful eras.

Champions League glory as the next step

Petit believes Yamal already looks like a phenomenon, but insists true greatness requires success at the highest level. “I’ve seen teams try to defend with two or three players against him, and it doesn’t work. At his age, he’s exceptional. If he keeps this level, he will win the Ballon d’Or. But to truly establish himself, he needs to win the Champions League,” Petit explained.

The Frenchman added that the upcoming World Cup is another opportunity for Yamal to prove himself internationally, but reiterated that European success with Barcelona remains the ultimate benchmark.

Warnings about mentality and maturity

After his praise, Petit shifted to caution. “His technique, vision, power, and intelligence are unique. The only thing he must improve is his mentality. Everything is going well for him now, but if something negative happens, there will be many waiting to bring him down. That’s when we’ll see how he reacts.”

Petit compared Yamal’s situation to Kylian Mbappé, who faced setbacks after years of nonstop success. He also advised the young Spaniard to be careful with how he handles public perception: “He must be cautious with communication and social media. Sometimes he seems a bit arrogant. In the past, many great players were shy, others were arrogant but backed it up with performances. The problem is when results don’t follow. He’s still very young, and maturity will come, but he needs guidance on and off the field.”

Barcelona’s international challenge

Petit also underlined Barcelona’s shortcomings on the continental stage: “They must improve in the Champions League. They fell to Inter Milan and at times looked mediocre defensively. In LaLiga, they’ll be tough, but the real test is in Europe. They probably still need a couple of reinforcements. Defensively, they struggled last season.”