18-year-old Lamine Yamal reveals advice from Hansi Flick after inheriting Messi's jersey

Lamine Yamal celebrated inheriting Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 shirt and signing a contract extension until 2031 during a special event at Camp Nou.

The 18-year-old, now in pre-season training for the 2025-26 campaign, will don the prestigious number previously worn by club legends.

When asked about his manager’s reaction to the shirt change, Yamal offered a lighthearted response:

“What did Flick tell me? He told me to go to bed early, that there’s a double session tomorrow,” he said with a smile.

“The dressing room congratulated me, and I’m grateful to them because without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Reflecting on following in the footsteps of Barcelona icons like Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, Yamal added, “Messi, Ronaldinho, and Maradona are three legends, they are everything, they are three incredible players, and I want to live up to it.

"I have no pressure and I am focused on football, I want to win the Champions League and the World Cup. I dreamed of making my Barça debut, and now I wear the number 10. Every kid born in Barcelona has dreamed of that. I’m grateful to the club for thinking of me.”

Barcelona will begin their preparations for the new season with a clash against Japanese side Kobe on July 27.