Yamal has become the poster boy of the Catalan giants since becoming a regular in the side, and speaking to CNN the 17-year-old confirmed his desire to remain at the club.
“In the end, Barça is the club of my life. I hope to renew my contract with them and to be with them as long as possible,” he explained.
“I want to play in the Spanish league. I want to play for Barça, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.”
Yamal also revealed the Barcelona star he has always looked up to, but rather surprisingly overlooked Messi.
The 17-year-old instead claimed Neymar Jr was his favourite player growing up, with the Spaniard first watching him while he was still in Brazil.
“I was five years old when I saw him at Santos, but seven years old when I saw him in person at FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou,” he reminisces.
However, Yamal also gave Messi the credit he deserved but insisted the way Neymar played just gave the Brazilian the edge over the eight-time Balon d’Or winner.
“It was incredible to see him. Yes, it’s true that (Lionel) Messi was there who was also incredible, but he was something totally different,” he continued.
“Neymar has always been my idol. He’s a star, a football legend.”
Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 after joining from Santos in 2013 and scored 68 La Liga goals in 123 appearances.
Neymar Jr for Barcelona in 2017 prior to his move to PSG-Getty
The winger won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times, and the Champions League once during his time at the Nou Camp, famously scoring in the 2015 final of the latter.
During the interview, Yamal also broke his silence on the current title race in Spain and insisted his Barcelona teammates have what it takes to snatch the title back from Real Madrid.
“In the end, La Liga will be won against the teams we’ve previously lost to. I think it’s about focus. We’ve shown in the important moments that we are the best and we’ll continue to do so,” he concluded.
Featured Image Credit: Getty/Barcelona
Lamine Yamal did not name Lionel Messi when asked which footballer he wished he could be in another life.
The Barcelona teenager has continued where he left off at Euro 2024 this season, with five goals and 11 assists in 20 La Liga starts this season.
Yamal has also netted twice in this season’s Champions League, with the Catalan side set to face Benfica in the last 16 of the competition.
The 17-year-old is expected to take on the legendary number 10 shirt for Barcelona next season and ditch his current number, 19, which was also worn at the club by Messi.
Despite following the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner’s shirt numbers at the Camp Nou, Yamal named another Barcelona legend when asked: “If you were born again, which footballer would you like to be?”
In the interview with, Mundo Deportivo, Yamal chose Santos star Neymar over the Inter Miami man.
However, this may not be too surprising for fans, with Yamal also naming Neymar as his footballing idol in an interview with CNN Sport back in January.
“I was five years old when I saw him at Santos but seven years old when I saw him in person at FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou,” Yamal began.
“It was incredible to see him. Yes, it’s true that Messi was there who was also incredible, but he was something totally different.
“Neymar has always been my idol. He’s a star, a football legend,” he explained.
Neymar for Santos in 2025- Getty
The former Barcelona star has also weighed in on comparisons between himself and the youngster.
“Lamine Yamal is a great player,” Neymar said in a recent interview with eFootball via Konami.
“We obviously share some similar characteristics in our play style. I think he has everything to become one of the biggest football stars in the world.”