It’s no secret that much of Barcelona’s success in 2025–26 will be dependent on what Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal are able to produce in attack.
But the two players are at drastically different points of their careers. While Lewandowski could potentially be playing his final season amongst the European elite, the 18-year-old Yamal is touted to be not only Barcelona’s biggest star for the next decade–plus, but also a player capable of marking an era.
To achieve such high expectations, Yamal must keep growing as a player and also sustain his otherworldly level for a considerable period of time. According to Lewandowski, longevity is precisely the biggest challenge that lies ahead for Barça’s No. 10.
“The huge challenge for him will be not next year, or the year after, but three years or even later, to find the mental things to still be hungry,” Lewandowski told The Times. “Nobody at this age in 10 or 15 years can keep the feeling that Lamine has. Even 5% less in five years means you can’t handle it.
“I have doubts that when you start playing at 16 now, you can play 20 years at the top level.
“It’s not his fault how the world looks now but for him it can be tough to keep this feeling of how he plays in the garden, with the expectation, the attention on social media.”
Being considered among the greatest players in the world as a teenager, playing at a team like Barcelona, puts you under a massive spotlight. Yamal came under fire this summer for his highly-scrutinized birthday party, the shining example of how his every move is increasingly analyzed.
Lewandowski urged Yamal to find balance and to be mentally strong in order to deal with the off-the-pitch noise. Yet, it’s clear the veteran striker believes in Yamal’s qualities and his capacity to continue improving, an ominous thought considering he admitted he’s seen Yamal embarrassing defenders since his first training session with Barça’s first team.
“I’ve seen a lot of good players but they needed time. With Lamine [Yamal], I saw something that didn’t need time. I’ve never seen that talent at that age.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Have Doubts’—Robert Lewandowski Reveals Lamine Yamal’s Biggest Challenge.