His name's Yamal, Lamine Yamal. 007

Debates are still going on about whether actor Idris Elba will be the next James Bond, thus becoming the first black star to play the famous secret agent. And while the name of the new 007 remains a mystery, another black kid of African origins from the class of 007 (born in 2007) seems predestined to reach the heights of his profession and become more popular globally than the fictional MI-6 agent himself.

His name is Yamal, Lamine Yamal. And he's only 16.

Lamine Yamal, the rising star who has already debuted for Barca at 15

After making his La Liga debut for Barcelona a few months ago, Yamal made his first starting XI appearance last week against Cadiz and, subsequently, his first assist in a thrilling 4-3 win at Villarreal on Saturday.

It took only four minutes for the left-footed boy, deployed at the right wing of Xavi's squad, to present his immense talent to the world. With a touch as smooth as the finest silk and a vision of a veteran, he sent a cross to the far post, putting the ball on the plate for Gavi to break the deadlock with a routine header.

Such a Messi-esque move just couldn't go unnoticed, as the vibrant world of social media almost instantly started comparing him with the Argentine magician. The fact they are both left-footed and share the same position and career path - raised and nurtured in Barca's 'La Masia' academy - made a Messi-Yamal trending topic.

But that's the moment when things became genuinely awkward.

Apparently, not only do they know each other, but one of the best football players seems to have met Yamal when he was still a baby?! One X-user (or Twitter user, if you prefer how it used to be called until recently) published a pic of teenager Messi and baby boy Lamine with his mother beside him, dating back to 2007.

Even though fact-checkers still haven't confirmed the authenticity of the mentioned photo, there's no doubt Lionel and Lamine had met a few years ago at La Masia. Yamal took a picture with then-Barcelona players Messi and Luis Suarez when the promising boy of African descent was still making his way through the ranks of the Blaugrana.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Barcelona by a Moroccan father and Equatorial Guinean mother, Messi's heir joined the Catalans in 2014 at 7. From that moment on, a meteoric rise occurred as Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana (his full name) immediately showcased his out-of-this-world skills.

The boy did not only make a fool of his peers, but he seemed to dominate even players two or three years senior. The footage from those years proves his ball control is as magnificent as it gets (who said Messi?), and his vision of the game allows him to find solutions unavailable to us mortals.

And since there's so much Messi in this piece, let us remind you that Leo made his Barca debut aged 17, almost two years older than Yamal was when he stepped on the Camp Nou turf for his premiere in May 2023.

Barcelona's African star boy nails a jaw-dropping screamer you'll watch on repeat (VIDEO)

You might conclude that those comparisons can do him no good and only pile unnecessary pressure on his fragile shoulders. And you're probably on point there, but with such a second-to-none talent and a chance to shine on a big stage - you'd better get used to it.

The case of another La Masia gem of African descent, Ansu Fati, struggling to find his role after a remarkable start with the Blaugrana, could teach Yamal a lesson or two.

It's a long way from being labelled a 'next big thing' and actually becoming one, as the modern game demands almost sickening continuity. And is unwilling to cut you some slack despite being nothing more than a teenager in such a jungle. There are countless dead ends there and only one road to success.

Fingers crossed for Yamal to make it all the way. Lamine Yamal. 007.

By: BOJAN BABIĆ