Lamine Yamal's Potential: Lewandowski's Insights on the Young Star
Robert Lewandowski has seen Lamine Yamal at his terrifying best. And in his eyes, the World Cup in the United States only offered a glimpse, not the full picture.
The former Barcelona striker, now at Chicago Fire, lifted the curtain a little on the teenager’s condition during the tournament, insisting the version of Yamal that dazzled the world was still some way short of his peak.
“Honestly, no, we didn't [see his best this tournament],” Lewandowski told ESPN, when asked if fans had witnessed Yamal at his absolute top level. For him, the benchmark was set long before this summer.
“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.”
That assessment carries weight. Lewandowski shared a dressing room with Yamal at Barcelona and watched his rapid rise at close quarters. He also knows the physical toll the game can take. Yamal arrived at the World Cup on the back of an injury, short of rhythm and without the luxury of a gentle buildup.
“He's still young, he came to the World Cup after injury and he didn't play for like eight weeks,” Lewandowski explained. “So it's tough if you don't play eight weeks and you have to start playing in the World Cup, then you don't have time for the training, just from game to game.”
The schedule was unforgiving. No extended training camp, no gradual reintroduction. Straight into the pressure cooker.
Yet even on a limited base, Yamal’s quality still cut through. Lewandowski highlighted the way Spain wrapped their structure around the youngster, and how he responded in kind.
“He showed really good quality. The Spain players and the team helped Lamine and Lamine also helped the whole team. I think that this cooperation was perfect.”
It was a neat summary of Spain’s balance: a prodigious winger still working back to full sharpness, protected and empowered by a slick, confident side. They leaned on him, but they did not leave him alone.
From afar, Lewandowski watched it all as a spectator for once. Poland failed to qualify for the tournament, leaving their captain on the outside looking in. When the final came around, his allegiance was clear.
He backed 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.
On the other side stood Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, another former team-mate and one of the defining figures of Lewandowski’s era. Emotionally, that could have been a split decision. It wasn’t.
“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.
“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.”
It was a telling line. For Lewandowski, Spain are not just champions of the present but a project still climbing, with Yamal at the heart of that future once his body catches up with his talent.
Now the teenager returns to club duty with a clear target: rebuild, reset, and rediscover that “best version” his former team-mate remembers from two seasons ago. After international duty and a summer break, his focus turns back to Barcelona and the grind required to regain peak physical condition ahead of the new campaign.
Lewandowski’s own path has taken a sharp turn. The 35-year-old has crossed the Atlantic, signed for Chicago Fire, and already made his MLS debut against Inter Miami CF. The move might be new, the league different, 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, still a teenager, trying to reclaim his top gear at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Lewandowski is convinced the world has not yet seen the full force of Lamine Yamal. The only real question now is how long it will take before that version returns.
