El Clasico that unites Messi, the Premio Princesa and the Ballon d'Or
While Leo Messi celebrated yesterday the Princess of Asturias Award, the top favorite for the Ballon d'Or, 19‑year‑old Lamine Yamal is preparing for his tenth El Clásico at the Camp Nou, where he will look to repeat the Argentine's magic against Real Madrid.
The award that crowned Messi
The Argentine star was the main protagonist when he received, at a ceremony of the autonomous community, the only trophy that was still missing from his showcase. The Princess of Asturias Award recognises not only his sporting career, but also his human and social dimension, consolidating his status as the greatest player in history.
His brief return to Spain lasted a few hours, but it allowed him to get to know Oviedo and meet Santi Cazorla, something he had never experienced because he had never played against the Oviedo side nor at the Carlos Tartiere. That visit served as an excuse to reminisce about his spell at Barça and, above all, his displays against Madrid on the eve of a new El Clásico.
It is difficult to point to a single performance against the whites, but among his best moments stand out the hat‑trick in his early meetings, the celebration of a goal by showing the shirt at the Bernabéu, the 2‑6 thrashing and a memorable display in the Champions League semi‑finals. Each of those episodes feeds the legend of the Clásico.
Messi between Oviedo and London: doubt over his Ballon d'Or attendance
Yamal, the new promise of the Clásico
Lamine Yamal, 19, will play his tenth El Clásico tomorrow at the Camp Nou. In the previous nine matches he had already scored three goals and delivered several standout performances, which places him as the natural successor to the Argentine in the task of striking the whites.
At that age, Leo Messi had only played twice against Madrid; in his third meeting, with only a few months more than Yamal now has, he scored his first hat‑trick. The comparison highlights how quickly the young Spanish player has amassed experience in football's biggest rivalry.
Yamal himself is the top favorite to receive his first Ballon d'Or on Monday, at 19, after a run of form that invites optimism. His candidacy reinforces the idea that the next generation is ready to fill the place Messi left vacant.
Messi receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
The contrast between Messi's consecration and Yamal's rise reveals a historic continuity in the Clásico: while the Argentine ends his career with the highest recognition, the young Spanish player is shaping up as the next protagonist who will keep the rivalry between Barça and Madrid alive.