Spain and Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal is already one of the biggest stars in world soccer, despite being only 18.

After profiling Yamal on 60 Minutes before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Sports Illustrated’s senior writer Jon Wertheim made a staggering claim about the teenager, arguing that he has never seen an athlete reach this level of fame at such a young age — even comparing him to another Barca prodigy, Lionel Messi.

Jon Wertheim Claims Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Has Only One-Tenth Of Lamine Yamal’s Global Fame

During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show”, Wertheim reflected the extraordinary level of attention surrounding the teenager.

The host, Patrick, noted that even global icons such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not seem to have this level of worldwide fame at 18, particularly before the rise of social media.

Wertheim largely agreed, describing social media as “the great accelerant,” before comparing Yamal’s fame to that of 2026 NBA Finals MVP and New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.

“Messi at that age played for Barcelona. People sort of knew who he was, but you weren’t on your phone watching clips of these insane goals he was scoring,” Wertheim said.

“Jalen Brunson’s level of fame is like one-tenth of this kid, and he’s 18 years old,” Wertheim added. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a level of athlete fame quite like this.”

“I think you could probably make the case this might be the most prominent athlete in the world right now, certainly top five, top ten,” he added further.

One of the most fascinating details from Wertheim’s 60 Minutes profile involved an old photograph linking Yamal to Messi years before the Spanish star became a household name.

According to Wertheim, Yamal’s mother won a raffle when he was just a baby that allowed the family to pose with a Barcelona player. By remarkable coincidence, that player was Lionel Messi. To stress how big that moment was, he made a hypothetical reference involving two of basketball’s generational superstars — Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

“It’s like Michael Jordan in 1984 or 1985 posing with baby LeBron,” he said.

Wertheim’s comments may sound hyperbolic, but Yamal certainly is operating on a different level from most teenage athletes. The Barcelona star made his senior debut at just 15 years old, has already won three La Liga titles, starred at UEFA Euro 2024 in Spain, and established himself as one of the world’s best attacking players before turning 19.

Messi recently described Yamal as the player he would choose from the next generation, while former Barcelona manager and 2010 FIFA World Cup winner Xavi Hernandez said the winger could become “one of the great geniuses in football history.” Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, has similarly called him a player with a “gift from God.”

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Yamal already has more than 100 appearances for Barcelona and over 25 caps for Spain. While the teenager was limited to a 71st-minute substitute appearance in La Roja’s surprising 1-1 draw against Cape Verde — courtesy of the heroics of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha — he is expected to play a far bigger role as the tournament progresses.

Spain will next face Saudi Arabia on June 21 at Atlanta Stadium before a potentially decisive Group H showdown against South American dark horses Uruguay on June 26.