Spain winger Lamine Yamal has said he is thrilled to see Lionel Messi defy time and continue to have a starring role at this World Cup.
Messi, 39, is leading the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals and had a standout performance in his team's epic 3-2 comeback against Egypt on Tuesday that saw the defending champions progress to the quarterfinals.
"Incredible," Yamal, 18, told Spanish outlet El Mundo Deportivo when asked of Messi's World Cup performances. "Everyone knows who Messi is, but no one expected him to be playing at such a high level. I'm really happy for him."
Messi was the most valuable player when Argentina ended a 36-year drought for a third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022 and the Inter Miami forward has scored in nine consecutive World Cup games since 2022.
Yamal, who inherited Messi's iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt last season, said he was also glad to see his other childhood idols feature at this World Cup.
"I'm happy for Neymar, even though he's no longer here, and for Cristiano [Ronaldo]," Yamal said. "They shaped the childhoods of all of us who are playing now."
Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 80 goals, Neymar, 34, brought down the curtain on his international career after his team's World Cup exit against Norway in the round of 16 on Sunday.
The former Barcelona star had not featured for Brazil since Oct. 2023 because of injuries but returned to play for the national team at this World Cup.
It was Yamal's Spain that ended Cristiano Ronaldo' hopes of winning the one major trophy missing from his collection. Portugal's 1-0 defeat to Spain on Monday was Ronaldo's last World Cup appearance.
The former Real Madrid star exited the tournament as the only player to score in six World Cups and he remains the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).
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"Anything good that happens to them will be good for me," Yamal said. "That said, if I make it to the final, I want to win it."
Yamal, played all 90 minutes against Portugal, his longest participation in a World Cup game so far after regaining his match fitness after injury.
"I'd been out for almost two months, and it's not the same as when you've played seven games in a row," Yamal said. "I need to keep touching the ball, keep playing, keep racking up minutes, and, obviously, that game will come.
"I think I can do better. I'm very hard on myself. I'm not satisfied with what I do. I've never been the best player in the group stage. I'm not worried about that. I know I have opportunities to prove it.
"The closer the important matches get, the semifinals or the final, the better I play."
A 2024 European champion with Spain, Yamal is fired up for Friday's quarterfinal against Belgium in Inglewood, California.
"I'm feeling great," he said. "I'm really looking forward to showing what we're capable of as a team and what I'm capable of. "I hope the match against Belgium will be a great one for the whole team."