Comeback of „La Pulga“: Commentator names Karl the new Messi | OneFootball

The rise of Lennart Karl knows no bounds at the moment. The 17-year-old FC Bayern super talent is setting one highlight after another, and after his impressive performance against Sporting Lisbon, the hype has reached a new dimension. Karl scores, inspires and is now even being compared to Lionel Messi – a comparison that would once have sounded absurd, but is now regularly made.

In the 3:1 win against Sporting Lisbon, Karl played a decisive role in the turnaround and scored the important 2:1 in the 69th minute. It was not just a beautiful goal, but a historic one. At 17 years and 290 days, Karl is the youngest player in Champions League history to score a goal in three consecutive games. The previous record was held by Kylian Mbappé – at the age of 18 years and 113 days. Karl beat this record by a considerable margin.

The attacking player had already scored against FC Brugge and FC Arsenal, where he broke a record and left his first mark internationally. In 20 competitive matches for FC Bayern so far, Karl has scored five goals – and looks more dominant, more dangerous and more mature from game to game.

No wonder the 75,000-strong Allianz Arena crowd gave the youngster a thunderous ovation when he was substituted in the 77th minute, with UEFA naming him Man of the Match.

Messi comparisons are on the rise – even internationally

But the international echo is particularly remarkable. The commentator on the Arabic channel beIN Sports referred to Karl as „La Pulga“ after his goal – exactly the nickname that accompanied Lionel Messi for years. „La Pulga“, the flea, stands for agility, explosiveness, unpredictability and the ability to leave several opponents standing in tight spaces with one run. Attributes that Karl also flashes up again and again.

It is not the first time that such parallels have been drawn. Lothar Matthäus recently emphasized that Karl’s playing style and agility are reminiscent of Messi. Of course, the comparison remains on a symbolic level – Messi is one of the greatest players of all time. But the fact that a 17-year-old from the Bayern campus is being put into this context at all shows what an extraordinary impression he is making.

The hype surrounding Lennart Karl is growing – and not just in Germany. The world is watching with fascination as a teenager breaks records, takes on responsibility and delivers in one top match after another. If Karl keeps this up, Messi comparisons may just be the beginning.