Robert Lewandowski has spoken about Lamine Yamal's precocity and the challenges the young Barcelona player will face in his career. The Polish striker, who began his professional career at 18 or 19, believes the new generation of players reaches the elite earlier, and that staying at that level for many years will be a challenge.
Discussing generational differences, Lewandowski focused on the age at which young talents begin to play at the highest level. Although he took his first steps in professional football closer to the age of 19, players now make their debuts for top teams at 16 or 17. Yamal is one of the most typical examples of this reality.
The Pole also recalled the first time he shared a pitch with the Barcelona winger, who was only 15 at the time, and joked about the generational gap between them. "I'm two years older than his father, you know? So imagine: playing with someone who could be my son... it's crazy!" he said.
Despite the big age difference, the Barcelona striker knew from the start that Yamal was a special player. "From the start, you could tell he was a different player, a very special player," said Lewandowski, who did not hesitate to acknowledge the Spain international's ability.
Amid his praise, however, he also addressed Yamal's future. For the striker, Yamal's real challenge is not breaking into the elite, which he has already done at his age, but remaining among the best players throughout a career that could last more than a decade.
"I think his biggest challenge will be to stay at the top for a long time," he warned. Lewandowski believes that starting too early can make it harder for players to sustain success in the later stages of their careers. "If you start too early, when you reach 28, 30 or 32, it's harder to stay at the highest level," he explained.
Lewandowski also linked this challenge to changes in football's economics in recent years. In his view, young talents now sign multi-million contracts at a very young age, which contrasts with the experience of previous generations.
"Now they start earning money very early. Before, we had to be more patient," said the Polish striker, noting that players used to need more time to establish themselves, and that a transfer fee had to be paid for them to move to another club.
"Now, all it takes is two goals. Then it's, 'Okay, come on, pay up, pay the release clause,'" he said, describing how quickly big deals happen in today's football.
The striker also stressed that every career path depends on individual circumstances and the professional environment. "Everything depends on the player and the club, and what they need," he concluded.