Rising Star: Lamine Yamals Incredible Performance in the Shadows of Ronaldo and Messi

In a thrilling Wednesday of soccer, two of the greatest players in history, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both fell short in their respective Champions League semifinals. Ronaldo, now at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, was left on the brink of tears after his team was stunned by Kawasaki Frontale from Japan. Seven hours later, Messi, now at Inter Miami, struggled in a 5-1 aggregate defeat against the Vancouver Whitecaps. But in between these two legends' struggles, a new star was born. Lamine Yamal, a 17-year-old winger for Barcelona, bamboozled Inter Milan in his 100th game for the club, scoring his 22nd goal and providing 33 assists. His performance left defenders in the dust and on the grass, and he scored a superb goal that left millions of soccer fans around the globe in awe. At Yamal's age, Messi had scored just once for Barcelona, while Ronaldo had scored five times for Sporting Clube de Portugal. Even when Messi made his 100th appearance at age 20, he had only 54 goal contributions. But Yamal has already surpassed that with his 57 goal contributions and is looking like the heir to their throne. "I don't want to compare myself with anyone, and even less with Messi," Yamal said at a packed Tuesday press conference. But 24 hours later, the comparisons were inevitable. He left defenders in the dust and on the grass with his incredible performance. He is doing things that nobody his age has ever done. He is the best 17-year-old in the modern history of sports and, right now, in 2025, is probably the best player in soccer. Ronaldo and Messi are still kicking and remain two of the most popular athletes on the planet. But on Wednesday, they faltered. Ronaldo's tears and Messi's struggles against MLS opposition highlighted the decline of two legends who once dominated the Champions League with 141 and 129 goals respectively. The post-Ronaldo-Messi generation has proven just how remarkable those two megastars were — and are. But a year ago, there was a sense that Ronaldo and Messi might never be equaled. Now, there's a teen who realistically could surpass them. Yamal has a long way to go, but he is already ridiculous in his talent and potential. And on Wednesday, as Ronaldo and Messi bowed out of spotlights, Yamal seized one that someday could be just as bright and big.