Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has again named Lionel Messi as the greatest player in football history, following Messi's hat-trick for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In comments attributed to Spanish broadcaster RTVE, Yamal said Messi's performance proved his status, stating: "Every match he plays proves that he is the greatest player in history. If anyone still has doubts, it's because they're deliberately looking for them. Leo is the GOAT."
The remarks came after Messi, 38, scored all three goals in Argentina's 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.
The hat-trick was Messi's first at a World Cup, and made him the oldest player in men's World Cup history to score three goals in a match.
The goals moved him to 16 career World Cup goals, level with the all-time men's tournament record, and marked his 11th hat-trick for Argentina. Yamal, 18, currently wears Messi's former No. 10 shirt at Barcelona.
He scored his first senior career hat-trick against Villarreal in February 2026, becoming the youngest player to do so in La Liga in the modern era.