Matthäus on Bayern youngster: „Lennart Karl reminds me of Messi“ | OneFootball

Lothar Matthäus compares Lennart Karl to one of the greatest footballers of all time – and explains why the Bayern youngster reminds him of Lionel Messi.

„Of course, it’s the biggest possible comparison you can make, but because of his position, height, dribbling and the solutions he finds, Lennart Karl reminds me of Lionel Messi, who is also his role model,“ says the record international in Sport BILD. Matthäus emphasizes that Karl, like Messi, once carried the street football gene: „Karl also learned to kick on the street, he has this carefree attitude.“

The Sky expert takes the comparison even further – and notes that Karl’s development at the age of 17 is faster than that of the world star: „At this age, he is further along than Messi was at the same time: Messi waited longer for a goal and statistically didn’t have the playing time that Karl is now getting.“

Karl is repeatedly asked about the comparison with Messi. After the 6:2 win against Freiburg, he said: „Of course I can be compared to Messi, many people say that. But I don’t think I can be compared to Messi. Messi is at the top, I still have a long way to go. Messi is my role model.“

Matthäus on Karl: „He’s definitely a candidate for the World Cup“

To keep Karl grounded despite the immense hype, FC Bayern is pursuing a clear plan. The attacking player should continue to develop athletically, but keep his private life calm and stable. Karl’s parents are moving from Frammersbach to Munich next year. Until then, the 17-year-old will continue to live on campus and concentrate on his 2026 secondary school leaving certificate.

photo: IMAGO

Only then will he look even further ahead: if his development continues at this rate, Karl could even travel to the World Cup next year. Matthäus is convinced: „He’s definitely a candidate for the World Cup.“

The record international sees Karl as a central component of Bayern’s future – and makes it unmistakably clear how highly he rates the youngster: „Lennart Karl is definitely not for sale, his market value is very high. But I don’t want to set any figures – so that Uli Hoeneß has no reason to complain like he did with Nick Woltemade,“ joked Matthäus.