“Who’s better - you or Lamine Yamal?”, “Me” - PSG star makes emphatic claim after comparison with Barcelona ace

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Desire Doue believes that he is better than Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal. The Frenchman arrived at the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2024 from Rennes.

Doue enjoyed a superb debut campaign with the Ligue 1 champions, helping them secure a historic treble. The 19-year-old ended with 16 goals and 16 assists from 61 games across competitions for the Parisians.

In a video that has since gone viral, Doue was asked a question:

“Who’s better — you or Lamine Yamal?”

The Frenchman responded with a grin:

"Me."

Lamine Yamal is Barcelona's new superstar and is coming off a tremendous campaign as well. The 18-year-old helped the Catalans secure a domestic treble, and also powered them to the Champions League semifinals.

Unfortunately, the LaLiga champions failed to progress to the final after suffering a defeat at the hands of Inter Milan. Yamal registered 18 goals and 25 assists from 55 games across competitions last season.

Barcelona recently announced the Spaniard's renewal until 2031, which has effectively ended any speculation regarding his future. Yamal has also been handed the No. 10 shirt ahead of the new season following Ansu Fati's departure to Monaco on loan. The iconic iersey has been previously worn by the likes of Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and, most recently, Lionel Messi.

---

What has Pep Guardiola said about comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Barcelona icon Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi

Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola believes it is unfair to compare Lamine Yamal with Lionel Messi. The teenage forward has been hailed as the diminutive magician's heir in recent years.

Like La Pulga, Yamal rose through the ranks at La Masia before exploding into the scene at Camp Nou. The Spaniard has even been handed the legendary No. 10, and will now be expected to carry forward Messi's legacy.

However, speaking recently as cited by acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Guardiola insisted that Yamal should be allowed to carve his own path.

“We should let Lamine Yamal carve his own path, and when he plays for fifteen years, we can say whether he’s better than Messi or not. The fact that he is compared to Messi is, in itself, a huge deal. It’s like comparing a painter to Van Gogh,” said Guardiola.

Lionel Messi is Barcelona's record goals scorer and has also registered the most assists for the club. The 38-year-old racked up 672 goals and 303 assists from 778 games for the Catalans.

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit