Can Barcelona’s Star Winger Excel with His New Jersey Number?
Following an incredible campaign for FC Barcelona, winger Lamine Yamal will reportedly change jersey numbers from 19 to the iconic 10. The jersey number will be vacant as Ansu Fati is reportedly joining Monaco. Yamal teased the change on Instagram, posting a story with a picture of Diego Maradona wearing 10 for Barca. The iconic number has also been donned by Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo for the Blaugrana. The new kit number comes with heavy pressure to live up to the standards of the legends; something Fati struggled with. Can Yamal continue his golden path with the iconic 10 on his back?
When Messi left Barca in August of 2021, Ansu Fati, who was the clear heir to the throne, took the number 10 a month later. Like Messi, Fati was a graduate of La Masia and was already a prolific winger at a young age. Before Messi left, Fati had started 23 matches, recorded 16 goal contributions, and became the club's youngest-ever scorer, all before his 19th birthday. His first year with the number 10 wasn’t easy. He missed a combined 186 days with five different injuries and only started five matches. He was healthy for nearly all of the 22-23 season but only started 14 times as Xavi’s trust in the winger was waning. Fati was loaned to Brighton the following season after only 50 minutes for Barcelona. Fati started just three times and scored twice in the Premier League, missing 14 matches for The Seagulls. Last season, he missed 11 games for Barcelona due to injury; when he was healthy, he was seldom part of Hansi Flick’s plans, making only 11 appearances. His move away seemed inevitable.
Fati represents the horror story Yamal confronts when he takes Messi’s old number. The pressure that comes with wearing the number synonymous with the club’s greatest player can be a massive burden, especially for someone who, like Fati, is doing so as a teenager. The hype surrounding both players was incredible during the introduction to the world stage. Somehow, the hype around Yamal may be even greater. Yamal is set to wear 10 at a younger age than Fati, by about 10 months, and already has more goal contributions than Fati has in his career. Barcelona needs to be cautious with Yamal to ensure he does not go through the injury struggles Fati faced. Yamal already has over 100 appearances for his club and is a regular starter for Spain; he’s playing at a rate that could be seen as unsustainable. The good news is that Barca are investing in a proper backup for Yamal, something they lacked last year. Additionally, the team surrounding him is better than the teams Fati played on as a teen, which should take some pressure off Yamal to be at his best every match.
Lamine Yamal faces a similar crossroads to Ansu Fati once walked. Even though Yamal is better than Fati was at this juncture, every Barcelona fan knows how easily this could crash and burn. They made the same decision, but their outcomes don’t have to be the same. Many fans think the move is too soon or that Yamal should make his own legacy with number 19. The pressure of wearing the same kit as arguably the greatest player ever at the club he is forever intertwined with can be insurmountable. That said, Yamal has already faced his fair share of battles, and he’s passed nearly all of them with unmistakable confidence. No moment has looked too big for Barca’s latest Golden Boy winner, and I have no doubt this one will be.
