Gavi: Lamine Yamal Is The Best Player At The World Cup, 'Besides Messi'

Spain midfielder Gavi paid special praise to his Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal, asserting that the 18-year-old is the best talent in world football, not counting Lionel Messi. The two players are aiming for World Cup glory, with Gavi confident in Yamal's ability to overcome the enormous pressure of the knockout stage.

Yamal is gradually recovering his fitness after a hamstring injury that affected his preparations for the World Cup. This player has gradually increased his playing time for Spain, with 19 minutes in the match against Cape Verde, 45 minutes in the match scoring against Saudi Arabia, and 76 minutes in the match against Uruguay.

In an interview with La Vanguardia, Gavi emphasized Yamal's great quality, even if the player is not yet at his best. Gavi said: "Maybe he's not at 100% yet. But Lamine at 70% is already the best player. As the matches go on, he will get better."


Despite being only 18 years old, Yamal already has an incredible list of achievements. This player won the Golden Boy award, lifted the Euro 2024 Cup with the Spanish team and won three La Liga championships with Barcelona. Yamal even finished second in the race to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award, behind only Ousmane Dembele. When asked if the youngster is the world's top talent, Gavi gave a strong endorsement, placing Yamal right behind Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or eight times. Gavi stated: "Apart from Lionel Messi, I consider him the best player. And I will always be on his side, in both good and bad times."

The pressure of a major tournament can easily overwhelm young players, but Yamal has consistently shown incredible maturity. Gavi admits that he is always amazed at how his colleagues cope with global fame without pressure, having watched Yamal's prominence grow. Gavi added: "Sometimes I tell him that I don't understand how he does it, because he is never pressured by people. If I were him, I would find it very difficult, and I would feel stressed, but Lamine handles everything very well and seems unaffected. That is a great quality of his."

Spain will now complete their tactical preparations for their upcoming knockout match against Austria. Coach Luis de la Fuente is facing a difficult problem in choosing his midfield combination and whether Yamal is healthy enough to play the full 90 minutes. The European giants need a cohesive performance to go further and keep their World Cup dream alive.

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