Morata backs Yamal to become Spain’s ‘greatest player’ | OneFootball

Alvaro Morata has backed Lamine Yamal to become Spain’s ‘greatest ever’ player and said the winger has a talent that comes along ‘every 20 or 30 years’.

Yamal has emerged as arguably the most exciting young player in the game at Barcelona, where a breakout season earned the teenager La Liga’s Young Player of the Season award and the 2024 Kopa Trophy.

In the summer, he became the youngest-ever European Championship debutant and goalscorer, as Spain won Euro 2024. His stunning semi-final goal against France was one of the highlights of the tournament and Morata, who captained La Roja at the finals, believes Yamal is a once-in-a-generation player.

He said one training session was enough for the Spain squad to realise Yamal was no normal youngster.

“He’s got a very determined character,” Morata told The Athletic.

“That’s hard to find in a person his age (17). He’s got a very clear idea about what he wants to do. He’s got a lot of personality and has everything in front of him. Honestly I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen a player like it. One training session was enough to realise he’s different, that he’s one of the fenomeni.

“Every 20 or 30 years one or two emerge like Cristiano and Messi. For me, he’s got everything it takes to make history.

“I’m convinced that if he doesn’t become the greatest player in Spain’s history, he’ll definitely be one of them.

“He already made history with us by winning the Euro. He was 16 when the tournament started and I hope he keeps this up because he’s my team-mate, because he can make me win more things with the national team and because my kids want to meet him, get to know him, go watch the games and all that.”

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