Lionel Messi pipped to top spot by Lamine Yamal and one other star as details about best-selling kits at Barcelona this season surface: Reports

Lamine Yamal’s shirt is the most in-demand by Barcelona fans this season, pipping that of club legend Lionel Messi, according to Diario AS. Despite having left Barca for almost four years, the Argentine icon’s legacy at the club continues to hold a significant spot in the books of the Blaugrana faithful.

While Barcelona are not allowed to officially produce Lionel Messi jerseys for the time being due to licensing restrictions, fans have found a way around it. What most supporters do, especially tourists, is buy a plain Barcelona jersey and then have Messi’s name and his iconic No. 10 printed on the back. Surprisingly, the demand for Messi’s shirt is still so high that it exceeds most of the current Barcelona players, bar Yamal and Robert Lewandowski.

Yamal, who has become a superstar at Barcelona, is leading the charts for the most in-demand player when it comes to shirt sales. As per the abovementioned source, stock problems have been recorded on the 17-year-old’s shirt sales on more than one occasion due to the extremely high demand.

Going further, Raphinha and Pedri fought for third place, but it was the Brazilian who came out on top following his bright performances on the pitch. Gavi’s jersey is favored among teenage fans as it came in fifth, while Pau Cubarsi is gaining popularity among fans, placing him in sixth in most shirt sales.

Injury-prone midfielder Frenkie de Jong has surprisingly seen his popularity go down as he couldn’t earn a spot in the top five but fell to the seventh position on the list.

---

''I’m not the first to have this happen to me'' - Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal downplays constant comparisons with Lionel Messi

At just age 17, Lamine Yamal has taken the football world by storm, which has earned him comparisons with Lionel Messi. Not only is the Spaniard winger talented, but his style of play and movement on the ball are very similar to that of the Argentine icon.

The La Masia graduate came into the limelight following his heroics in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. He has picked up from there and has continued to show flashes of his brilliance with Barcelona in the ongoing season.

In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Lamine Yamal was asked if he sees constant comparisons with Lionel Messi as something normal. In response, he said:

''Luckily, I'm not the first to have this happen to me. That means that it's something that people have inside them every time they see a left-footed winger, or sometimes just when one is left-footed. I try to be myself."

"Obviously Messi, and I always say this, is the best player in history and being compared to him means that you're doing things right, but I try to be myself. I try to make my way and give everything for this shirt.’’

Lamine Yamal has scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists in 32 appearances for Barca this season.