So, Barcelona's football director, Deco, said they initially wanted Luis Diaz and Nico Williams to beef up their attack last summer. But they couldn't afford them or promise they could sign them up, so they went with their third pick, Marcus Rashford.

Even though Rashford started out as the number two guy behind Raphinha on the left, he's having a killer first half of the season. He's got the best goals-per-game average on the team right now.

Barcelona worked out a loan deal with Manchester United for this season, which cost them about €5m, with a choice to buy him later. Lately, there have been reports that Barcelona probably wouldn't use that buying option, which is worth €30m, but things might be changing. MD says that they're now leaning toward keeping Rashford instead of sending him back to United.

His seven goals and nine assists in 23 games have really helped Barcelona, and the fact that he can play all over the front line is another plus. People also like his accurate passes, his ability to shoot from far away (which helps against tight defences), and how he can threaten defences from different positions.

Keep in mind that the final decision will depend on how he plays in the second half of the season and how he handles getting less playing time if Raphinha stays healthy.

So, how likely is it that Barcelona can actually sign Rashford?

Well, it all comes down to what Barcelona does financially in the summer. If Robert Lewandowski leaves when his contract is up and they don't renew it, that would free up some money. The same goes for if Marc-André ter Stegen leaves. If Rashford signs a four-year contract with a top-tier salary, Barcelona would need to free up around €17.5m in salary space. But if they're still over their limit, they'll only be able to use 60% of the money they save or make on transfers.

So, Lionel Messi's getting ready to play against Lamine Yamal, who a lot of people think could be the next big thing. They both came up through Barca, playing on the right, and even wore the number 10. People had high hopes for both of them early on.

Yamal's got a ways to go to reach Messi's level, what with those eight Ballon d'Or awards. But how do their stats compare at 18?

Yamal's already played 100 games for Barcelona. Did Messi do more in his first 100?

Yamal vs. Messi: The 18-Year-Old Stats

This Barca star turned 18 last July (2025), but he'd already played a ton of soccer. According to Planet Football, he has played 127 games for club and country and scored 74 goals since his debut in April 2023.

At 15 years, nine months, and 16 days, he was the youngest player ever in La Liga. He's broken a ton more records since then, like being the youngest scorer in the Spanish league, the youngest to start a Champions League game, and the youngest to play for Spain.

For comparison, Messi debuted at 17 and only played nine times before turning 18. He only had one goal by then, scored in injury time in a 2-0 win against Albacete Balompie when he was 17 years, 10 months, and seven days old.

It just shows how quickly Yamal has risen to the top. He's already one of the world's best. This Finalissima match in March could be the changing of the guard as Messi winds down and Yamal gets going.

Fans were shocked by a photo of Yamal and Messi from 16 years ago, shared by Yamal's dad.

Yamal Doesn't Want to Be the Next Messi

Yamal has said he wants to make his own name at Barcelona, not be compared to Messi. Back in April 2025, when asked about the comparisons, he said, "I don't compare myself to him, or anyone else, especially not Messi."

It doesn't make sense to compare myself to Messi. I'm just going to enjoy myself and be myself.

He said again in December, "I respect him for what he's done for soccer." If we meet on the field, there'll be respect because we're both players and because he's the best.

He knows I'm a player too, and I respect him, so it's mutual. We both know I don't want to be Messi, and he knows I don't want to be him.

I want to do my own thing. I don't want to play like him or wear his number 10 or anything like that.