“I don't care about how many goals I score”: Lamine Yamal shrugs off Messi comparisons, vows “I only want to win” at World Cup | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal has distanced himself from comparisons to Lionel Messi and said his focus is only on team honours.

Yamal's extraordinary emergence has seen the teenager break records and cement himself as one of the world's finest footballers.

The 18-year-old was named runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2025, narrowly missing out on becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the award. His performances forBarcelona and Spain have continued to excel, with Yamal named La Liga's Player of the Season for 2025/26.

He is currently with the Spain squad at this summer'sWorld Cup, where the European champions will aim to add to their Euro 2024 triumph.

Despite a career-best campaign at club level, with 24 goals, Yamal has faced some scrutiny over his record with Spain. He's scored six times in 26 appearances for La Roja, and none in his last six games.

Ahead of facing Saudi Arabia in Atlanta this evening, Yamal was asked about his individual ambitions. The winger was keen to talk down comparisons with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, and said goals are not an 'obsession'. He said his only focus is on team success and winning the World Cup.

"I don't care about how many goals I score. I'm not obsessing about that,"Yamal said.

"First of all, they're [Mbappe, Messi & co] all at least 10 years older than me, and my style of play is different. I only want to win.

“You can score 16 goals in the tournament but be eliminated in the semis, so I don't want that. I want to win”.