Lamine Yamal's ascent to superstardom has been as breathtaking as it's been swift. The 17-year-old remains too young to drive, get a tattoo or enjoy an alcohol

I admire Messi a lot, so I don’t want to compare myself with the best player in football's history,” Yamal added on Tuesday.

The fear that Lamine Yamal provokes in defenders when he gets the ball on Barcelona's right flank has inevitably conjured up comparisons to a young, floppy-haired Lionel Messi. Now, Barcelona 17-year-old star will face one of the very few teams that Messi never could score against when Inter Milan visits on Wednesday in the opening game of their Champions League semifinal.