Robert Lewandowski on Lamine Yamal's Future Potential
Robert Lewandowski has seen Lamine Yamal at a level the rest of the world, he insists, has not yet witnessed on the biggest stage.
The former Barcelona striker, now beginning a new adventure with Chicago Fire in MLS, believes the teenager’s World Cup campaign in the United States only scratched the surface of what he can become.
“That wasn’t the best Lamine”
Asked by ESPN whether fans had seen Yamal at his absolute peak during the tournament, Lewandowski didn’t hesitate.
“Honestly, no, we didn't [see his best this tournament],” he said, before pointing back to a different moment in the youngster’s rapid rise. For Lewandowski, the definitive version of Yamal is not the one dazzling global audiences this summer, but the one he watched up close at Barcelona two seasons ago.
“The best performance, the best Lamine for me, of course, wasn't the last season, but two seasons ago, that was for me now the best version of Lamine Yamal.”
There was a reason for that dip from his personal benchmark. Yamal arrived at the World Cup on the back of an injury, with his rhythm broken at precisely the wrong time. He had not played for around eight weeks heading into the tournament – an eternity for any attacker, let alone a teenager asked to carry such responsibility on the international stage.
“He's still young, he came to the World Cup after injury and he didn't play for like eight weeks so it's tough if you don't play eight weeks and you have to start playing in the World Cup,” Lewandowski explained. “Then you don't have time for the training, just from game to game.”
Quality in flashes – and a perfect partnership
Even without what Lewandowski considers Yamal’s true top gear, the Poland captain saw enough to be convinced of his class.
“But he showed really good quality,” Lewandowski said, pointing to the way Spain’s structure and senior figures wrapped around the youngster, and how he responded in kind.
“The Spain players and the team helped Lamine and Lamine also helped the whole team. I think that this cooperation was perfect.”
It was an important detail: Yamal wasn’t just a prodigy thrown into the chaos of a major tournament. He was a functioning part of a collective, trusted by a group of players Lewandowski knows well from his Barcelona days, and trusted to give something back.
Backing Spain over Messi’s Argentina
Lewandowski watched the tournament from afar. Poland failed to qualify, leaving their captain in the unusual position of being a spectator for the latter stages. When the final arrived – Spain against Argentina, Lionel Messi chasing yet another piece of history – his allegiance was clear.
He chose Spain.
“I know a lot of players from Spain and I spent so much time in Barcelona with them, so I supported them a lot,” he said.
“Of course, I know from Argentina personally only Leo, but I know that he won the last World Cup. That's why I support the Spanish national team because if you play with them, you spend a lot of time together then it's easier to support this team.”
For Lewandowski, it was less about romance, more about relationships. Shared dressing rooms. Shared flights. Shared pressure. Those experiences tilted his heart towards La Roja.
“I was happy because I know they were ready to win the World Cup. They are very young and the future is in front of them.”
That future, in his eyes, will be built around talents like Yamal – provided he can stay fit long enough to rediscover the version that once stunned even hardened veterans at Barcelona’s training ground.
Yamal’s reset, Lewandowski’s new chapter
Now comes the reset.
After international duty and a brief summer pause, Yamal’s next task is straightforward but crucial: rebuild his body, regain sharpness, and hit the new club season with Barcelona at full tilt. For a player still learning how to manage workload, expectation and physical strain, this stretch between tournaments and campaigns may prove as important as any knockout tie.
Lewandowski, meanwhile, has already turned the page.
The 35-year-old has swapped Camp Nou for Chicago, stepping into MLS with Chicago Fire and debuting against Inter Miami CF. The stage is different, the league less familiar, but his ambition has not softened.
“I'm ready to do this and try to help my team-mates and new club take the next step, and also to win some titles,” he said.
One star chasing trophies in a new league. Another trying to climb back to the level a world-class striker still holds up as the standard.
If Lewandowski is right, the world hasn’t yet seen the best of Lamine Yamal. The question now is how long it will take for that “best version” to return – and how far it can carry both Barcelona and Spain when it does.
