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Daily Maverick
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Lamine Yamal wants to own Barça's No 10 his way, all the way
The number on a player's back has the potential to make or break a career, as quite a few can attest. All eyes are now on teenager Lamine Yamal after he took on Barcelona's most famous shirt. Lamine Yamal has been destined to follow in the footsteps of sports legend Lionel Messi since the pair coincidentally crossed paths in 2007. That year, as a six-month-old infant, Yamal won the opportunity to be in a photoshoot with a 20-year-old Messi as part of a charity effort. The Barça Foundation, in conjunction with Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, ran a raffle to choose 12 lucky babies who would pose with 12 selected Barcelona stars, with each picture adorning one month on the calendar. The proceeds from the calendar sales would go to charities such as Unicef. Yamal's family was one of the winners. Last month, Barcelona confirmed that for the 2025/26 season, Yamal will wear the club's famous No 10 shirt. Its most legendary wearer in recent memory is none other than Messi, while other notable wearers include Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Diego Maradona and Juan Roman Riquelme. It's evidently a number stacked with history for the Catalan club – and teenage sensation Yamal seems ready to carry it on his youthful shoulders. The No 10 before him was another teenage prodigy, Ansu Fati. A cautionary tale Fati is a product of Barcelona's academy, La Masia, just like Messi and Yamal. He too attracted attention from a young age, debuting for the first team at just 16 years old. Alongside Yamal and three others, Fati is one of Barcelona's five youngest debutants. Fati was so promising that, just a year after his senior debut, he finished second behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in the race for the 2020 Golden Boy award. It goes to the best under-21 player in Europe each season. Since then, a number of injuries and a loss of form have stalled Fati's career. He has hardly played for Barcelona in recent years, even though he remains contracted to the club. Instead he has spent his time either on loan or on the sidelines due to injury. Some have speculated that Fati's troubles truly began in 2021, when he inherited Messi's No 10 shirt. This was after Messi departed from Blaugrana for Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona's announcement came after Fati had been sidelined for nearly a year because of injury. They offered him the famous shirt number because they saw him as the next big superstar to come from La Masia. He was positioned as the face of the club, the next Messi. The weight of expectation crushed Fati, and he has never quite reached the potential he was once touted to have. Even though he is only 22 years old, considering his injury history, it's difficult to imagine him ever reaching the heights he was supposedly destined for. It was recently announced that the attacker will spend this season on loan with Ligue 1 club Monaco. 'He is an extraordinary person. I sincerely believe that he should not have accepted to wear the shirt with the 10,' former La Masia director Xavi Martín told Diario Sport. 'If I was at La Masia at that moment, I would have told him, 'Ansu, now is not the time. If it comes, it will come'. Because he's very demanding of himself and he put more pressure on himself.' Making his own way Yamal is now in a similar position to Fati. Coincidentally, the fleet-footed winger is the same age Fati was when he accepted the added challenge that comes with donning No 10 on your back at Barcelona. Prior to the announcement that he would wear the legendary number, Yamal wore No 19. It's the same kit number Messi wore while he was still creating a name for himself. Messi went on to wear No 10 after Ronaldinho departed Barça for AC Milan in 2008. He was 21 years old at the time. Despite the history he shares with Messi on so many levels, Yamal says he is his own person. The 18-year-old winger, who burst onto the scene in 2023, wants to craft his own reputation. 'I'll try to build my own path, but all kids would like to be like [Messi, Maradona and Ronaldinho],' Yamal said. 'All three have been incredible players. They're legends and I'll try to follow in their footsteps.' Of Messi specifically, he said: 'I don't want to compare myself with anyone, even less with Messi… He is the best player in football history. I am making my own way.' As he enters this daunting chapter of his fledgling career, this is a healthy approach to follow. If Yamal was a superstar prior to donning the No 10, his popularity will surge even higher now. More Barcelona jerseys with his number will be sold, adding to the expectations placed on Yamal. In fact, Barcelona sold about 70,000 Yamal shirts in the 24 hours after the announcement that he would wear No 10 for the upcoming season. What's in a number? While No 10 can be a blessing or curse at Barcelona, other clubs have their own fabled kit numbers. At Manchester United, No 7 has been worn by greats such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Other wearers of the number for the Red Devils include Messi's compatriot, Ángel Di Maria, as well as Memphis Depay, Alexis Sanchez and Michael Owen. None of them reached the standards set by previous wearers of No 7. Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa rejected the opportunity to don the famous kit number when he joined the Red Devils in 2012, saying he wants to craft a name for himself. But Kagawa struggled to settle in at Manchester and eventually returned to his former club, Borussia Dortmund, after just two years. Kagawa's case demonstrates that even though certain kit numbers can come with added pressure for the wearer, there is no perfect science behind the phenomenon. Whether you avoid a 'heavy' number or not, success is not guaranteed. Yamal will definitely be under more scrutiny after inheriting Barcelona's 10. During the difficult times he could face in this new chapter, the teenager may tap into that unlikely encounter with Messi in 2007 – even if just to reinforce his belief that he belongs where he finds himself and is not an impostor. DM
Morocco World
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
What Barcelona Stand to Gain from Ansu Fati's Loan to Monaco?
Rabat – Ansu Fati will join AS Monaco on loan from Barcelona for the 2025–26 season, with the French club holding a €11 million option to make the deal permanent. Before completing the move, the 22-year-old extended his contract with Barcelona until 2028—ensuring the Catalan side retains long-term control over the player's future. The loan includes a 50-50 salary split, with each club set to cover €4.7 million of his wages. The deal also helps Barça free up squad space as they push to finalise a move for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. Fati endured a difficult season, making just 11 appearances and playing 297 minutes without registering a goal or assist. He appears to be surplus to requirements under new manager Hansi Flick, with attacking options such as Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha ahead in the pecking order. Barcelona hope regular minutes in Ligue 1 will help Fati rediscover his form and fitness after a string of injuries disrupted his progress. Tags: AS MonacoFC Barcelona
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Business Standard
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Barcelona's former prodigy Ansu Fati joins AS Monaco on season-long loan
Monaco signed Ansu Fati on a season-long loan from Barcelona on Tuesday, offering the former teen prodigy another chance to resurrect his career. Monaco said the loan deal for the 22-year-old forward includes an option to buy at the end of the season. Fati burst onto the scene with Barcelona in 2019-20 season. At the age of 16 years and 304 days in August 2019, he became the club's youngest scorer in the Spanish league. Nearly four months later, at the age of 17 years and 40 days, he became the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history. Fati would set other records he previously held the record as Spain's youngest ever scorer with his reputation growing as a quick and tricky right winger with an eye for goal. He was predicted to become a world superstar in much the same way as 17-year-old Lamine Yamal is now with Barcelona and Spain. Like Yamal, he also had great versatility, offering him the possibility to operate as a second striker or by dropping deep in the false nine role. But the Guinea-Bissau born forward then experienced a series of injuries which impacted his confidence and form. He played only a handful of games for Barcelona in the past two seasons and spent part of the 2023-24 season on loan to Premier League club Brighton, scoring four goals in 27 games. Fati netted 29 goals in 123 games overall for Barcelona and scored twice for Spain in 10 matches. He appeared fleetingly at the 2022 World Cup and has not played for the national team since 2023. Fati's arrival follows the signing of former France midifleder Paul Pogba on a two-year deal and strengthens coach Adi Htter's attack. Pogba and Fati should add more versatility and extra firepower to an attack containing the prolific Mika Biereth and skilful US forward Folarin Balogun. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France 24
01-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Barcelona's Ansu Fati aims to kick-start career in Monaco
Fati becomes Monaco's third summer signing, following England international defender Eric Dier and 2018 French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, both of whom arrived on free transfers. The three players will be officially presented to the press on Thursday. The 22-year-old Fati completed his medical with Barcelona agreeing a season-long loan with option to buy for 11 million euros ($13 million). According to a source close to the clubs, Barcelona will cover a significant portion of Fati's salary. However, the Spanish club will receive a significant profit on any potential resale. Born in Guinea Bissau, Fati made his professional debut with Barcelona at the age of 16. He played 123 matches for the club, scoring 29 goals, and won Spanish league titles in 2023 and 2025 and two Spanish Cup trophies. A Spanish international with 11 caps and two goals he played in the 2022 World Cup and was on the winning 2023 Nations League team. After a very complicated season hampered by numerous injury-related absences, with only 11 matches played and no goals scored, Fati will now attempt to relaunch his career in the Principality. He failed to excel during a loan spell in 2023-2024 at Brighton in the Premier League, with four goals in 27 matches in all competitions. © 2025 AFP
Business Upturn
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Upturn
Official: Ansu Fati signs for AS Monaco on a season-long loan
Ansu Fati has been officially signed for AS Monaco on a season-long loan deal until 2025-26. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on July 1, 2025, 19:29 IST Ansu Fati has been officially signed for AS Monaco on a season-long loan deal until 2025-26. Barcelona's forward wasn't getting much time to play, and thus, he was send to Ligue 1 side to get enough field play. Ansu Fati has been delivering since his arrival in the club football but the injuries have really got him one step backward in his journey so far. Spanish forward Ansu Fati has officially joined AS Monaco on a season-long loan from FC Barcelona, with the deal running until the end of the 2025–26 season. The 21-year-old will be looking to reignite his promising career in Ligue 1 after struggling for consistent game time at Camp Nou. Once hailed as the next big thing in Barcelona's attack, Fati burst onto the scene with flair, pace, and an eye for goal. However, a series of unfortunate injuries disrupted his progress, keeping him on the sidelines for long spells and affecting his development. With limited minutes under Hansi Flick last season and competition for places growing, the club has opted to loan him out to Monaco to ensure he gets regular playing time. The move to the French top flight is seen as a fresh opportunity for Fati to regain his form, build confidence, and showcase the talent that made him one of Europe's most exciting young prospects. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
