Lamine Yamal's Rise Helps Barcelona Move Beyond The Post-Messi Era

When Lionel Messi left Barcelona it looked like a generation would have to go by before another player of his incredible talent would don the burgundy and blue.

- Agencies

It turned out a couple of years was enough.

Lamine Yamal cemented his status as the Next Big Thing in global soccer by excelling in a season that saw Barcelona finish with treble of domestic titles.

Fittingly enough, the 17-year-old scored the decisive goal to clinch the Spanish league crown on Thursday.

Defenders know what is coming when Yamal dips his head and starts his dribble from the right side across the edge of the area. They know he is seeking the sliver of space to get his fantastic left-foot curler off. But Espanyol's players ~ like so many others this season — could do nothing to stop him from whipping the ball into the top corner of the net to spark the 2-0 victory.

"We have a kid who can pull gold out of his boots," Raphinha said about Yamal.

Inevitable Comparisons To Messi

While he has dismissed comparisons to Messi, or any other player for that matter, it is impossible not to see flashes of the Argentine's majestic moves in his young feet, especially after the soccer planets aligned to put them together in a photo when Yamal was just a baby.