Spanish winger Yamal earlier renewed his contract with La Liga giants Barcelona until 2031, and sporting director Deco said he believed Yamal would become one of the best players in the future.

In the 2024/25 La Liga season, the youth-trained Yamal scored 9 goals and contributed 13 assists for Barcelona, and helped Flick's team win the La Liga title, the Spanish King's Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, with a brilliant performance.

It is worth mentioning that in Barcelona's four victories over Real Madrid in all competitions this season, Yamar contributed goals or assists.

When asked about the difference between Yamal and Argentine star Messi, Barcelona sporting director Deco said, "Yamal is Yamal and Messi is Messi. Messi is the greatest player in the history of this club and for me, he is the greatest player in the history of football."

"Everyone gets excited when they see Yamal play, and people pay to go to the stadium to watch him play. He is special, and he chose to stay because he believes in the project, and he deserves a better treatment. He will become one of the best players in the world. We need to respect him as a player, but don't forget that he is only 17 years old."

Deco also said, "It's really hard to make a comparison, but in terms of talent, Yamal does have the ability to make history like Messi. But to do this, he needs a strong team behind him to support him."

In addition, Deco also said, "We try not to let him participate in too many activities, because sometimes sponsors and the outside world want his jersey or time. Sometimes we can't control everything, but the outside world sees his magic both on and off the court, and we need to help him learn how to deal with it."