Lamine Yamal to Wear Barcelona's Iconic No. 10 Jersey

Barcelona, Jul 17 (AP) - Rising star Lamine Yamal is set to don the iconic No. 10 jersey at Barcelona, a number famously worn by club legends like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi. "I'll try to build my own path, but all kids would like to be like them," Yamal expressed on Wednesday during the club's announcement. "All three have been incredible players, they're legends, and I'll try to follow in their footsteps."

Having reached the age of 18, Yamal has officially signed the contract extension initially agreed upon with Barcelona in May, securing his presence at the club until 2031. "My goal is to keep winning and growing," Yamal stated. "It's the club of my life. It's my home, I've been here since I was 7 years old." Last season, Yamal sported the No. 19 jersey, while the coveted No. 10 was previously held by Ansu Fati, who will now be playing on loan at Monaco.

During the announcement ceremony, Yamal was presented with the No. 10 jersey by club president Joan Laporta, with his family also in attendance. However, this event follows some controversy surrounding Yamal, who faced criticism for allegedly hiring individuals with dwarfism to entertain at his extravagant 18th birthday celebration the previous weekend.

Yamal chose not to address the controversy directly on Wednesday, stating, "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." He added, "I'm indifferent to both criticism and praise if they don't come from my family or people close to me." (AP)

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