Lewandowski's Take on Yamal's Potential and Future

Robert Lewandowski has seen Lamine Yamal at his terrifying best. And, in his eyes, the version that dazzled the United States this summer was still a step below the real thing.

The former Barcelona striker, now beginning a new adventure with Chicago Fire in MLS, offered a strikingly candid assessment of his old team-mate’s World Cup displays, insisting the world has not yet seen the peak of the teenage winger.

“Honestly, no, we didn't [see his best this tournament],” Lewandowski told ESPN, before pointing back not to last season, but to the campaign before that as Yamal’s highest level so far. For a player already being spoken about as one of the brightest talents in the game, that is a frightening thought.

Why Yamal wasn’t at full throttle

Lewandowski did not hide behind clichés about youth or pressure. He went straight to the core issue: rhythm.

Yamal arrived at the World Cup on the back of an injury and a long spell out of action. The winger had not played for around eight weeks before being thrust into the intensity of a global tournament. No gradual build-up, no extended training block, just straight from recovery into the spotlight.

“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,” Lewandowski explained.

The lack of sharpness could have exposed him. Instead, Yamal still produced moments that underlined why Spain and Barcelona view him as a generational figure. Lewandowski highlighted that the environment around the youngster made a difference: Spain’s senior players carried him when needed, and he, in turn, lifted them.

“The Spain players and the team helped Lamine and Lamine also helped the whole team. I think that this cooperation was perfect,” he said. A teenager short of peak fitness, yet still central to a World Cup-winning side: it speaks to both his talent and the structure built around him.

Backing Spain over Messi’s Argentina

Poland never made it to this World Cup, but Lewandowski still had skin in the game when the final came around. His choice of allegiance was telling.

With Spain facing Argentina, the striker’s loyalty leaned towards his former Barcelona colleagues rather than his old rival Lionel Messi.

“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. His connection with Argentina’s camp, by contrast, is far thinner. “Of course, I know from Argentina personally only Leo, but I know that he won the last World Cup.”

That context shaped his view. Spain, loaded with youth and built around a new generation, felt like a project on the rise rather than a coronation for a legend.

“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,” Lewandowski added. “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.”

In that future, Yamal is expected to be a leading figure, especially once he has a full pre-season and his fitness back to its ruthless best.

Different paths: Yamal’s reset, Lewandowski’s new stage

For Yamal, the next step is clear. After international duty and a summer breather, the winger will turn back to Barcelona with one priority: regain full physical sharpness and re-establish the electric form Lewandowski remembers from two seasons ago.

The club will demand it. La Liga and Europe will expect it. Spain, fresh from global success, will rely on it.

Lewandowski, meanwhile, has already turned the page. His move to Chicago Fire marks a bold new chapter in MLS, and he wasted little time stepping into the spotlight, debuting against Inter Miami CF and immediately setting the tone for what he wants this stint to be.

“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 pushing to reclaim his sharpest form at Barcelona. Another reinventing himself in the United States and chasing trophies in a new league. If Lewandowski is right, the most dangerous version of Lamine Yamal has yet to arrive—and that should worry every defender waiting for him next season.