"The greatest technical talent I have ever seen" - Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate makes claim about Barcelona's Lamine Yamal
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Juventus teammate Wojciech Szczesny hailed Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal as the greatest technical talent he has seen. At 17, Yamal has become one of the most talented young footballers in the world.
Wojciech Szczesny came out of retirement to join Barcelona in October 2024 after their starting goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen's season-ending injury. The German injured his knee during the 5-1 demolition of Villarreal in LaLiga in September 2024.
Since joining, Szczesny has shared the pitch with Lamine Yamal five times for Barca. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Wojciech Szczesny waxed lyrical about the La Masia graduate, having watched him regularly at Barcelona training sessions. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
"Lamine Yamal is the greatest technical talent I have ever seen in my life, and on a physical level, Kenan Yildiz. Lamine is crazy, the things he does in training I have not seen anyone do."
Lamine Yamal is a key starter for Hansi Flick at the club, having contributed 10 goals and 12 assists in 28 outings for the Catalans across competitions this season. The 17-year-old was key to Spain's victory in the 2024 Euros and was the recipient of the 2024 Golden Boy award and the Kopa Trophy.
Meanwhile, Wojciech Szczesny is not the only one in awe of Yamal's stellar performances in recent times. The Spaniard has also received praise from multiple stalwarts of the sport, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and others.
When Cristiano Ronaldo claimed Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal will be the best player of the new generation
In an interview with Rio Ferdinand on his eponymous YouTube channel, Cristiano Ronaldo made confident claims about Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal. The Portuguese legend tipped the youngster to be the best player of the new generation and said (via ESPN):
"He's got a huge potential. I see a lot of talent. But let's see during his journey what's going to happen. But I think he'll make it. He will be the best player of this new generation."
Cristiano Ronaldo also hopes Yamal does not suffer any injuries as many rising talents have been hampered by serious injuries when they are young. One notable example is La Blaugrana forward Ansu Fati. Ronaldo continued:
"He needs luck because he is very young. I hope he doesn't have any problems [injuries]. He is in a context that helps him a lot. Spain's national team is really good."
Lamine Yamal has contributed 17 goals and 19 assists in overall 79 appearances for Barcelona across competitions. He is often lauded for his exceptional dribbling skills coupled with great playmaking abilities.
Yamal has hailed Lionel Messi as the greatest player player in the history of football previously. However, the Spaniard performed Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic calma celebration after scoring in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga in October 2024.
