Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015 but there’s a quiet confidence that their wait could end this year.
The evergreen Robert Lewandowski, 36, is top of the competition’s scoring charts this season – but at the other end of the age scale, it is 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, a star for Spain at Euro 2024, who has been conjuring up memories of Lionel Messi with his performances.
“This guy, I would pay money to watch him,” former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit told TNT Sports recently.
“He can play right-footed, left-footed, he can dribble with both feet, so it’s impossible.
“On top of that, he’s got the vision, the intelligence, the movement. He’s got everything at 17 years old.”