Yamal compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at 17 - with a clear winner

Lamine Yamal's dazzling performances for Barcelona have brought inevitable comparisons with the greatest players of all time despite teenager having so much still to prove

The comparisons are inevitable but the differences remain marked. As Lamine Yamal, 17, caused havoc in Barcelona ’s thrilling Champions League tie with Internazionale, the narrative that he is “the next Lionel Messi ” picked up speed.

Before the 3-3 thriller Yamal stressed that he does not weigh himself against “the best player in history” or any other player. "I don't think the comparison makes sense, with Messi even less,” he said. “I'm going to enjoy myself, and be myself."

That last part may well be the key to why he is already among the world ’s most exciting players and a favourite for the Ballon d’Or. Yet such comparisons to Messi - and Cristiano Ronaldo - will trail Yamal’s career no matter his attempts to stress his own differences.

Every big-match goal, assist and difficult outing will prompt contrasts because, well, that is what the social media era demands because - perhaps influenced by American sports - many younger fans find no issue with supporting superstar players rather than teams.

And already there is no shortage of statistics that fit for those who want Yamal to be even better than Messi and Ronaldo - the two most dominant stars of the modern era.

That Yamal’s 100th senior game arrived against Inter offered two different arbitrary ways to make a comparison. The first, spread like wildfire online, was a look at where Ronaldo and Messi were as 17-year-olds.

Messi had played just nine first-team matches, scoring once while Ronaldo, coming through at Sporting Lisbon, had racked up 19 games and provided five goals and four assists. Yamal’s century, meanwhile, has brought 22 goals and 33 assists. A clear winner, then. All hail King Yamal.

The other comparison point is where Messi stood at 100 games and, well, the fact they are almost equal across many categories is mildly interesting.

Messi may have outscored Yamal 41-22 but once assists are factored in (15-33) it means the Argentine's 56 goal involvements are just one better than the coming man.

Yamal's win percentage of 77 per cent trumps Messi's 67 per cent but they had both won three titles following that many appearances.

The only real takeaway here is that Yamal is an exceptional young player with the potential to become a great. But he still has so much to do before proper conversations over where he ranks can take place.

Messi and Ronaldo have achieved a longevity hitherto unseen and there is a long list of brilliant young players tailing off at what is the typical peak for a professional player for all sorts of reasons.