According to a report by Barca Universal on Friday October 30, 2026, Fernando Torres, a former Spain international, has spoken highly of Lamine Yamal, saying that he has not seen a young player of his caliber in recent years.

The legendary Atletico Madrid player has encouraged the Barcelona forward to relax and enjoy the game, while also pleading with his loved ones to encourage his growth rather than put undue pressure on him.

Making his senior debut at the tender age of fifteen, Yamal has quickly risen to the position of lynchpin for Barcelona. The graduate of La Masia made an immediate impact and has since maintained his place on the first team. He has a lot of responsibility now that he has risen quickly, especially after Lionel Messi left in 2021.

In an interview with Radioestadio Noche on Onda Cero, Torres discussed the rising star's impact on the sport internationally. He did admit that the influence of Yamal was different from his own playing days.

Torres stated that he would tell the adolescent to keep playing football since it is his passion. It had been a long time since he had seen potential like Yamal's, he continued.

When asked if the young Barcelona player could be compared to Lionel Messi, the ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker also declined. But he refrained from drawing parallels, instead calling the Argentine the best player of all time and implying that nobody will ever be able to match his feats.

Torres thinks Messi is too critical of Yamal and that he should be valued for his own merits alone. As the adolescent grows and changes, he emphasized the significance of supporting him.

Already a key player for Barcelona and Spain, Yamal is just 19 years old. He is already one of the best players in the league, but he can still do better, especially when it comes to scoring goals.

The counsel Torres gave him to just enjoy the game could come in handy down the road, what with Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish coach, giving him a lot of responsibility and freedom.