Despite massive competition for his signature, adidas has today announced that Barcelona’s latest wonderkid, Lamine Yamal, has signed a long-term partnership with the brand.
Barcelona is well know for its conveyor belt of superstar talent, rising up through the ranks at La Masia, and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal is the latest product to emerge onto the global stage. He is widely regarded as one of the most promising young players in the world and has underlined his immense potential by becoming the youngest goalscorer for Barcelona and the youngest in history to score in La Liga, aged 16 years and 87 days, while he’s also currently the youngest player to play in the Champions League knockout phase. It’s clear to see why the brands were circling him.
He was subject of a bidding war between adidas, Nike, PUMA and New Balance this season, but it was the Three Stripes that finally sealed the deal. Lamine grew up in Rocafonda, 40 minutes from his club’s training ground, and understandably he has always idolised Lionel Messi. While he follows in the Argentinian’s footsteps on a club level, he now also does so with his brand affiliation, and fittingly, Yamal will wear the adidas X Crazyfast Messi ‘Spark Gen10s’ boots in both European and Domestic competition, making him the only player besides Messi himself to do so.
Talking of the new partnership, Yamal said, “I am proud to join adidas as they have always been the brand of the best. Growing up, I idolised Leo Messi, who has been with adidas since I first started watching football. I look forward to the many years ahead with adidas.”
Yamal is following in the footsteps of Messi in more ways than one, and switching Nike – the brand he has been wearing until recently – to adidas is yet another mirror to Messi's career.
Pick up the adidas X Crazyfast Messi at prodirectsport.com/soccer
