Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has been entrusted with the club’s legendary number 10 jersey, a shirt once worn by all-time great Lionel Messi. The club announced the news on Wednesday with a heartfelt message on social media: “Our 10,” accompanied by a video celebrating Yamal’s journey.
The 18-year-old winger, often compared to Messi due to his exceptional skills and rise through La Masia—Barcelona’s renowned youth academy—played a pivotal role in the team’s domestic treble victory last season. Yamal has already made 116 appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 25 goals since his debut at the remarkable age of 15 while wearing the number 41 jersey.
Following in Messi’s footsteps, Yamal transitioned from the number 27 to the number 19 last summer, mirroring the legendary Argentine’s early shirt numbers at the club between 2005 and 2008. Now, inheriting the iconic number 10, Yamal joins a lineage of football legends including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo.
The number 10 jersey became available after Ansu Fati, who succeeded Messi in 2021, moved to Monaco on loan earlier this month. Despite showing immense potential, Fati’s progress at Barcelona was hampered by a series of injuries.
While fans are excited about Yamal’s new role, the young star recently faced controversy after celebrating his 18th birthday with a private event that involved hired entertainers with dwarfism. The celebration drew criticism, leading Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights to request a public prosecutor investigate the party following a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).
As Yamal steps into the spotlight wearing the number 10 jersey, supporters are eager to see how he will honor the legacy of those who wore it before him and continue to make his mark on the football world.
