As it stands, Kylian Mbappe will leave PSG on a free. Real Madrid has set their sights on the Frenchman and a move seems inevitable. For Luis Enrique & Co, losing the club’s greatest-ever goalscorer is indeed a fatal blow. To replace the talismanic Mbappe, the Parisian club has reportedly set sights on another phenomenon on the rise: 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona youngster faced off against the Ligue 1 side in a recent UCL game and earned comparisons to Lionel Messi with his mazy dribbles. However, a legendary soccer tactician is not getting carried away and added that Lamine is unlike Messi.

Speaking at the recent Laureus Awards, Fabio Capello gave his take on the Messi-Yamal comparison. He said, “I discovered Messi at the Gamper and 20-25 minutes into the game I approached Rijkaard and asked him to loan him to me that season. He was a genius.” Notably, Capello was in charge of the Juventus side that faced against FC Barcelona in the 2005 Joan Gamper Trophy. Although Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet, the world took notice of his alien-like talent.

Likewise, the 2023 edition of Joan Gamper saw Lamine Yamal give an exhibition of his own. Despite playing only 10 minutes, the youngster tore apart the Tottenham defense. Many considered this the best performance in the tournament since Lionel Messi’s legendary outing against Juventus. But regarding Lamine, Capello said, “Lamine has a lot of quality and is very interesting, but he won’t be a genius. Messi, Pele and Maradona were the geniuses.”

However, Lamine Yamal has nothing to be bogged down. Because Capello’s definition of a ‘genius’ is of the highest level.

Not even Cristiano Ronaldo has the ‘genius’ of Lionel Messi per Capello

With 5 Ballon d’Ors and 880+ career goals, Cristiano Ronaldo fits into the mold of a sporting genius. But not as per Capello. The former Real Madrid manager stated that between Lionel Messi and CR7, he would go for the former. The Italian tactician said, “For me, if you talk to me about Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi, I will say Messi.”

Furthermore, Capello explained, “Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player. He won titles, he won the Ballon d’Or but as I said before, it’s not as great as how Messi has been. Ronaldo is a great scorer, shoots, does everything, knows how to do everything, but he is not a genius. Very simple.” With Capello refusing to label even someone as extraordinary as CR7 as a genius, his claim on Lamine Yamal is not surprising in the slightest. However, if he continues the hard work, the potential is limitless for the 16-year-old superstar.

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