Spain star Lamine Yamal has revealed Brazilian icon Neymar is his idol, overlooking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when asked about his favourite players to watch. The 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy made the admission during a fan Q&A on his YouTube channel.
Yamal's admiration for Neymar
"Neymar. I always enjoy watching Neymar play," Yamal said. "He's my idol." The Spain international also gave a mention to Manchester City pair Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki. This is not the first time Yamal has expressed his admiration for Neymar. "Neymar is a player who marked my entire childhood," he said in April. "He is my idol. I will always be grateful for everything he has given to football. He always inspires us. He's one of those players you pay a ticket just to watch him play."
World Cup aspirations
Yamal will be hoping to drive Spain to victory over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. He has been gradually returning to full fitness and made his World Cup bow as a substitute in his nation's surprise draw with Cape Verde on Monday. The teenager, who lifted the Euros with Spain in 2024, finished runner-up in last year's Ballon d'Or voting, a coveted individual award that Messi and Ronaldo have claimed a combined 13 times. Yet Yamal snubbed two of the game's greatest ever when asked which player he most enjoys watching, aside from his team-mates.
Respect for Messi and Ronaldo
Yamal had hoped former Barcelona hero Neymar would be in Brazil's World Cup squad and saw his wish granted, despite the Santos skipper nursing an injury. It raises the prospect of the Spanish wonderkid coming up against the 34-year-old in the tournament's knockout rounds. He has also expressed considerable admiration for Messi, who launched his World Cup campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria. However, the winger made it clear that he does not want to emulate the Argentina captain's style. "I respect him, in the end for what's he's been, for what he is to football, and if we ever meet on a pitch, there will be that mutual respect because we are players and because, for me, he's the best in history," he told CBS' 60 Minutes in December 2025. "He also knows I am a player and I respect him, so it's mutual respect. We both know I don't want to be Messi and Messi knows I don't want to be him. I want to follow my path and that's it. I don't have the intention of playing like him or wearing the No.10 that Messi wore or anything like that."
Yamal's focus on Spain
The Barcelona sensation expressed similar sentiments about Ronaldo before facing Portugal in the Nations League final last year. "Cristiano is a legend and we all have a lot of respect for him, but I will do my job, which is to win the match," he said in June 2025. Yamal will be concentrating on helping Spain secure a vital World Cup victory over Saudi Arabia in Group H. He was instrumental in Barcelona's La Liga triumph last season, netting 16 goals and registering 12 assists across 28 appearances.
