Lamine Yamal has been handed the iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt previously worn by Lionel Messi, the Catalan club confirmed Wednesday.

Yamal, who celebrated turning 18 on Sunday, inherits the number next season from Ansu Fati, who completed a seasonlong loan move to AS Monaco earlier this month.

The confirmation of Yamal’s new number was made at an event with the winger and his family to celebrate his new contract, which was agreed on last month and runs until 2031.

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Messi wore the No. 10 jersey at Barcelona from 2008 until his departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. The Argentina great became a legend at Camp Nou, helping Barcelona win 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues while becoming Barça’s all-time leading scorer.

“When I was a child, my dream was to debut for Barça, to grow up and play with the No. 10,” Yamal said Wednesday. “Every kid born in Barcelona dreams of that. Messi has made his way, and I’m going to make mine.”

Fati succeeded Messi as the No. 10 in 2021, but a series of injuries saw him struggle to maintain his place with the team.

In the meantime, Yamal has emerged as one of the standout players for both Barça and Spain.

The teenager, who has already made 106 appearances for Barça and scored 25 goals, will take on one of the most significant shirt numbers in the club’s history. In addition to Messi, the number has also previously been worn by Barça greats including Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romário and Diego Maradona.

Yamal had hinted at the change in recent weeks as he posted photographs of Argentina legend Maradona, Ronaldinho and Messi on social media, the former two while they were wearing the Barça No.10 shirt.

It will be the fourth number Yamal has worn with Barça. He had No. 41 when he made his debut in 2022-23, No. 27 the following season and then last year No. 19, the same number Messi wore before taking No. 10.

Our new No. 10 pic.twitter.com/OtaCSGPj6t

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 16, 2025

Yamal has won two LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercopa with Barça. He helped Spain win the European Championship last summer.

“I haven’t won the Champions League and the World Cup,” he said. “These are my goals now.”

The announcement comes as Yamal faces an investigation from the Spanish government into possible breaches of disability laws following allegations that individuals with dwarfism were hired as entertainers at his 18th birthday party.

Yamal sidestepped the controversy on Wednesday.

“In the end I work for Barça, but when I’m away from the club’s training center, I enjoy my life and that’s it,” Yamal said. “I’m indifferent to both criticism and praise if they don’t come from my family or people close to me.”

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.