Real Madrid and Barcelona legend and BetFair brand ambassador Luís Figo praised the talent of Lamine Yamal ahead of Sunday's El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid on October 25.
Figo reflected on his career and current topics during BetFair's "Figosofadas" program. The 2000 Ballon d'Or winner joked about what would happen if he and Yamal were playing in the same era. "If we played at the same time, maybe it would be my turn to play on the left, change positions," the Portuguese star laughed, implying that at Yamal's current level, the Barcelona starlet is almost irreplaceable on the right wing, which was Figo's position.
"I also had incredible talent back then, you know?" Figo continued. "But times are different now," he added in a more analytical tone. "I was only 22 when I joined Barcelona, still very young, and only three foreign players could start. I didn't play much at first either. That was another era."
When asked if he could play in this match in his 2000 form, Figo returned to a relaxed tone. "I think I could start for either of these two teams," he said. "If I were the coach of either of these two teams, I would put myself in the starting lineup. I can't say anything else... if even I don't say it, no one will," he joked.
Turning his attention to El Clásico, Figo analyzed possible strategies Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti might use to contain Yamal. Figo also discussed how José Mourinho, with whom he worked at Inter, might approach the challenge. Figo believes man-marking Barcelona's No. 7 is unlikely. "I think man-marking is becoming less common on the field now. Naturally, you mark the player who most often appears in your zone, which in this case is usually the left-back. It would be crazy to man-mark him across the entire field," Figo analyzed. "It's more common to pay close attention to a player like Yamal when he comes close to your position. At that moment, you focus on that instant, rather than thinking about man-marking him for the whole game," he explained.
Figo predicted a closely contested match. "If I had to guess the score, I'd say 2-2, with Raphinha and Yamal scoring for Barcelona, and Bellingham and Mbappé scoring for Real Madrid," the Portuguese offered his prediction. "Barcelona is an attacking team and always scores goals. Real Madrid will definitely have counter-attacking opportunities, and Mbappé is a player who thrives with space in front of him. Since Barcelona always pushes very high when building up play, I think they will get such space. Bellingham is also very good at making runs from deep," he explained his reasoning.
Figo worked with Mourinho at Barcelona, where Mourinho served as assistant to Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal. In his opinion, the coach from Setúbal could have been an excellent Barcelona manager. "He was already talked about before Guardiola was appointed. Probably because people felt he had what it takes to coach Barcelona," the BetFair ambassador explained. "Perhaps he didn't have as much experience when I worked with him, but after a while, especially after all the accolades he won later, he certainly had the ability to coach Barcelona because he had the capacity and knowledge. If he had really returned, he understood the club's philosophy and the team," Figo continued.
He also admitted that among all the coaches he played under, Johan Cruyff was the most unforgettable. "I always had a deep affection for him. He was the first coach I met outside of Portugal. It was his last season as a coach, and we met then. It was an incredible experience to play under him," the Portuguese said.
There are many figures to watch in this El Clásico. In terms of goal-scoring, Raphinha and Mbappé could have a direct confrontation between two LaLiga Golden Boot contenders. The Brazilian is emerging as an unconventional striker, while Mbappé remains Real Madrid's primary scoring threat. Both have been compared to Ronaldo. Figo, who played alongside the Brazilian legend at both Barcelona and Real Madrid, believes Mbappé's characteristics are closer to "the Phenomenon," though he emphasized that Ronaldo remains incomparable. "Perhaps Mbappé's characteristics in terms of strength and speed are more like Ronaldo's... but no one can be like him, Ronaldo is incomparable. Raphinha and Mbappé both have their own characteristics, but Ronaldo's physical condition and technical superiority made him unique," Figo emphasized. Figo and Ronaldo share a piece of El Clásico history, as they are two of only four players to have scored in El Clásico for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Figo believes this record — previously achieved by Samitier and Luis Enrique — would be "difficult" to replicate. In his opinion, a player transferring between the two rivals, as he did, is unlikely to happen again. "Between Real Madrid and Barcelona, especially after what happened with me, it's probably very difficult for a transfer from Real Madrid to Barcelona, or vice versa, to happen again," Figo said. "Buyout clauses are now ridiculously high, the fees involved are unimaginable. I'm not saying such a transfer is absolutely impossible, but it's very difficult for both teams to complete such a deal. For example, Barcelona cannot afford such high transfer fees now. I think it's too difficult," the BetFair ambassador continued. A different matter is Real Madrid and Barcelona competing for the same player, as happened with Rodri, who ultimately signed with Barcelona. Figo believes that regardless of which team the player ultimately joined, it would have been the right choice. "He fits Barcelona's philosophy and playing system very well, and he would also be a great fit for Real Madrid because his ability is too strong," Figo added.
Finally, Figo confessed that if he could change one of the four goals he scored in El Clásico, he would choose the goal from the 2002 Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Barcelona at Camp Nou. "I didn't play in that match at Barcelona because I was injured. But back then, away goals in knockout rounds counted double. If I really had to pick a goal to change, I might change that one because it had double value... but I did what I had to do at every moment of my career, and I was lucky enough to score in El Clásico, so honestly, I wouldn't change anything."
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