Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé are ready to start the preseason. The stars of Barcelona and Real Madrid will debut this season wearing the number 10 on their jerseys, a number reserved for true legends. The Rocafonda native inherited it from Ansu Fati, but when you think of that number and the Blaugrana colors, it’s impossible not to think of Leo Messi. For his part, the player from Bondy takes it after Luka Modric left it free and after wearing the number 9 in his first year at the Santiago Bernabéu and winning the Golden Boot, he hopes that this new number will bring him even more luck in the form of collective titles.
After Lamine Yamal established himself as one of the biggest stars of the moment and following Kylian Mbappé’s acclimatization period, everyone now hopes that the two will continue to engage in an exciting rivalry over the next few years, similar to that between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in their day. No one can forget that era of Spanish soccer when one day the Argentine would score two goals and the next day the Portuguese would equal or surpass him, or vice versa. The level of LaLiga rose to spectacular heights, and now Javier Tebas and soccer fans in our country are rubbing their hands with glee at the rivalry between the two.
A battle for LaLiga and the Champions League
During the preseason, Lamine Yamal has scored four goals in four games, while Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the only match played by Concha Espina’s side. Now that is behind us because the moment of truth is here with the official start of the season. Right now, it is the Mataró native who is defending the LaLiga throne, and the Frenchman will try to take it from him by winning his first title in this competition. But, without a doubt, the eyes of both number 10s will be on the Champions League.
Lamine Yamal came close to playing in the final last year, but Barcelona fell in the semifinals against Inter Milan. For his part, Kylian Mbappé was unable to lead Real Madrid to another European Cup, as they were knocked out by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, while he watched PSG, the club he fought so hard to win it with for so many years, lift the trophy in their first year away from the Parc des Princes. Now both players are waiting to find out who their rivals will be in the league phase to start laying the groundwork to be the one to conquer Europe over the other.
Lamine and Mbappé, going for the Ballon d’Or
Another area where the number 10s of Barcelona and Real Madrid will battle it out will be in the race for the Ballon d’Or next season. This year’s award will be presented on September 22, and Lamine Yamal is in with a chance, although everything points to it going to Ousmane Dembélé. While we wait to see what happens, Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in Europe in his first year at Real Madrid, although it is true that it was the Spanish international who won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating the Frenchman in both finals.
The goal for both will be to have an unforgettable season, both with their respective clubs and with their national teams, as we must remember that next summer, in 2026, there will be a World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In a World Cup year, the Ballon d’Or usually goes to one of the winners, and both Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé hope to be crowned, but their performances throughout the season with Barcelona and Real Madrid could also play an important role.