Reflecting on the achievement, Yamal emphasized his consistency: “What I value most is always staying motivated and maintaining the level I’ve shown. Playing like this for Barça at 17— not just anyone can do that.”

The young talent also declared his ambition: “I hope the era of Lamine Yamal becomes the era of Barcelona.”

Responding to Messi Comparisons

Despite ongoing comparisons to Lionel Messi, Yamal made it clear: “I try to enjoy myself, be who I am, and follow my own path. Obviously, I admire him for being the greatest player in history, but I don’t compare myself to anyone—especially not Messi.”

Regarding recent criticism about his confidence, he responded with poise: “As long as I’m winning, they can’t say anything.”

Looking ahead to the semifinal, Yamal acknowledged the strength of Inter Milan: “Everyone knows their defense is their strongest weapon, and they’re very good on the counterattack too.”

He also played down the Italian side’s recent struggles in Serie A: “A league match isn’t the same as a Champions League semifinal. They’re totally different competitions. Here, we’re fighting to reach the final, and they’re going to give it their all.”

Finally, Yamal confirmed he trained normally on Tuesday, though he revealed he spent most of Monday at the Ciutat Esportiva due to the blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula: “I didn’t know what to do at home, so I came to the facility and ran into some teammates—yeah, the blackout made us all a bit nervous.”