Sawt Falasteen - Yamal takes iconic Barcelona number 10 shirt

"Our 10," wrote Barca on social media, accompanied by a video featuring Yamal.

The 18-year-old winger, often compared to the Argentine superstar who also came through the club's La Masia youth academy, helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble last season.

Yamal has scored 25 goals for the club in over 100 appearances, making his debut in 2023 at the age of 15 wearing the number 41 shirt.

After a season wearing the 27, last summer Yamal followed in Messi's footsteps by taking the number 19, which the Argentine wore at the club between 2005 and 2008.

Ansu Fati inherited Messi's number 10 shirt in 2021, when now Inter Miami player left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain.

Beset by a series of injuries Fati was unable to fulfil his potential at Barca and signed on loan for Monaco earlier in July.

Other star names including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo have worn the Barcelona number 10 shirt in the past.

Yamal made headlines after celebrating his 18th birthday last weekend with a private event involving hired entertainers with dwarfism.

Spain's Ministry of Social Rights asked the public prosecutor to investigate the party after a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE).

O.Mousa--SF-PST