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According to a report by Barca Universal on Thursday, October 22, 2026, former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger Luis Figo has explained how Jose Mourinho could try to stop Lamine Yamal during Sunday's El Clasico between the two Spanish giants.
Figo praised the Barcelona youngster and predicted that the match would end in a 2-2 draw. He also tipped Yamal, Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham to score.
Speaking on a Betfair programme, Figo joked that playing alongside Yamal might have forced him to change positions because both players operate on the right wing. The former Ballon d'Or winner also claimed that he would have been good enough to start for either team during his playing career.
Figo recalled joining Barcelona as a young player, when restrictions on foreign players affected opportunities within the squad.
Having worked with Mourinho at Inter Milan, the former winger believes the Portuguese coach would not assign one player to mark Yamal throughout the game. Instead, he expects Real Madrid's players to pay close attention to the teenager whenever he moves into dangerous attacking areas.
Figo also believes Barcelona's high pressing and attacking style could create opportunities for Madrid to exploit. He expects Mbappe's pace and Bellingham's forward runs to cause problems for the Catalan side.
The former winger added that Mourinho could have managed Barcelona successfully because he understood the club's football philosophy from their time working together under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.
Figo described his experience working with former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff as incredible. He also insisted that Ronaldo Nazario remains in a class of his own, despite comparisons with Mbappe and Raphinha.
On the possibility of another direct transfer between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Figo said such a move would be difficult because of high transfer fees and release clauses. However, he believes Manchester City midfielder Rodri has the quality and playing style to succeed at either club.
Figo also reflected on scoring four goals in El Clasico matches, insisting that he would not change anything about his career despite missing the opportunity to play at Camp Nou in the 2002 Champions League semi final.