Move over Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Lamine Yamal era has begun.
As the curtain begins to fall on the careers of the greatest duo of a generation, one starlet appears ready to grasp the baton as football patiently awaits its next prodigy.
Step forward Barcelona’s 16-year-old superstar in waiting who is almost certain to start for Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against England.
Not since Messi has there been as much hype surrounding an academy graduate from Barcelona’s famed La Masia.
And it’s easy to see why judging by Yamal’s displays at his first major international tournament – one which could end in glory in Berlin on Sunday.
The teenage sensation has a whopping €1bn release clause, such is the hope and expectation placed on him.
An amount that would see the cash-strapped Catalans’ well documented financial issues disappear into smoke should they ever choose to cash in on him.
But Barcelona know that Yamal is the key to keeping pace with a Real Madrid side packed full of young talent and hell-bent on dominating domestic and European football in the years to come.
Yamal has started five out of Spain’s six matches at Euro 2024 and impressed in each of his appearances and it’s not just fans in attendance who have been left on the edge of their seat.
“He’s only 16, this guy. The way he’s playing, he’s got such great skills,” France World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit told talkSPORT. “He was showing so much confidence with the ball.
“He shows so much character and personality and I was scared about his age. I was thinking about the case of Kylian Mbappe a couple of years ago, now it’s Lamine Yamal.
“What is the next generation? Are they coming through at 14 or 15-year-old? They look more mature than our generation. I’m such a big admirer of Lamine Yamal.”
The Spaniard has even caught the eye of another sporting great in three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes – arguably the greatest player in the world right now – who watched the teen star net a superb equaliser in Tuesday’s semi-final against France.
“Goal was insane,” said the Kansas City Chiefs star after seeing Yamal’s talents during his holiday in Europe that also took in Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix.
That view was shared by talkSPORT’s Ally McCoist who was left stunned by the Barcelona’s forward’s heroics against Mbappe and co.
“You want players to excite fans and it’s probably the goal of the tournament,” the ex-Rangers striker said.
“What’s beautiful is when you see it from behind and it starts at least a yard outside and it curls. The goalkeeper had no chance, it was a thing of beauty.”
Son of a Moroccan father and mother from Equatorial Guinea, Yamal was scouted by Barcelona aged just six, signing for the club in 2014.
He made his debut in April 2023, in a La Liga fixture against Real Betis and became the league’s fifth youngest player ever aged 15 years, nine months and 16 days old.
Since then, he has gone on to play a key role for club and country and although he has already tasted La Liga title glory, a win in a major international tournament would propel the forward into superstardom.
But it hasn’t been all his own doing with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo also weighing in with fine displays for La Roja.
Williams has ironically drawn attention from Yamal’s club Barcelona ahead of a blockbuster summer transfer and his displays in Germany has done his chances of a move no harm.
The 21-year-old’s weaving run and subsequent net buster against Georgia in the round of 16 was arguably his crowning moment…so far.
The same can be said for Olmo, a play maker and former La Masia prospect who left Spain for Dinamo Zagreb aged 16, before moving to the Bundesliga in 2020.
Olmo has impressed both as a starter and a substitute and leads the way as the tournament’s top scorer with three goals whilst registering two assists.
England will be wary of the threat all three stars pose ahead of Sunday’s final but it feels that for Yamal, the showpiece in the German capital could be the beginning of a passing of the torch.
talkSPORT will bring you live commentary of the Euro 2024 final on Sunday as England bid to make history against Spain. Tune in via the website or the app, and follow our live Euro 2024 blog for all the build-up.