Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is looking to the legends of sport for inspiration as he prepares for a monumental Champions League task. The 18-year-old winger revealed on Monday that he is drawing motivation from basketball icon LeBron James and his footballing idol, Neymar, ahead of Barcelona's quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg at home, the Catalan giants face a steep climb at the Metropolitano stadium on Tuesday. To channel the right mindset, Yamal recently changed his Instagram profile picture to LeBron James holding the 2016 NBA Finals trophy—a powerful symbol of comeback after James led the Cleveland Cavaliers from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors.
"He's one of the reference points that can inspire me for tomorrow's game," Yamal told reporters. "I will think about what he did and I hope it goes the same way for me."
Closer to his own sport, Yamal is also reflecting on one of the most dramatic nights in Champions League history: Barcelona's legendary 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, which overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit. Neymar was the architect of that historic comeback, a performance Yamal has studied repeatedly.
"I've watched that game many times and saw it live too," said the young star. "Neymar is a player who has marked all of my childhood, he is my idol... He's the kind of player you buy a ticket to watch."
After a breakout season where he helped Barcelona secure a domestic treble and finished as runner-up for the Ballon d'Or, Yamal now faces a pivotal European moment. He was effectively neutralized by Atletico's intense marking in the first leg, often facing double or even triple coverage.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has emphasized playing to Yamal's unparalleled strengths. "I think Lamine has performed really well in the last games... he has to do the things where he's the best in the world at the moment—one against one situations," Flick stated.
With the weight of history and the inspiration of sporting greats behind him, Yamal heads to Madrid hoping to find the space and freedom to unleash his talent and help orchestrate a comeback for the ages.