El Chiringuito de Jugones returned with its usual pace and brought together its most recognizable voices to dissect the present of soccer. At the table, the debate shifted toward a comparison that has become inevitable due to talent, impact, and projection. Lobo Carrasco took the floor and, with calculated pause, set the stage before delivering his most forceful assessment.
The context helped ignite the spark. Real Madrid had just come off a summer exhibition against Tirol, with a 4-0 that brought back the feeling of total firepower and high-speed combinations. The star of the friendly was a striker who reminded everyone, with two strikes and a shared goal action, why he tops so many front pages today.
Carrasco's argument: improved pressing and a devastating Mbappé when the team works
Carrasco highlighted a tactical detail that isn't always measured with statistics: the coordination of pressing and how that mechanism boosts the most vertical striker. In his analysis, the white team, when they press high and together, turn every recovery into a yard (1 meter) gained for the Frenchman. The result is a "powerful" footballer in open spaces and lethal in tight spaces, able to create goals or gift them to the right teammate. Hence, his prediction: if the team keeps that plan, the striker will even increase his numbers from last season.
The contrast wasn't numerical, it was about sensations. On the other side of the comparison stood out a differential talent for dribbling, pause, and reading. That footballer who, when the match gets stuck, opens lines with one-on-one play and turns a wing into a corridor toward the box. The panel then looked toward Camp Nou and toward a phenomenon who no longer needs introduction after his international breakout in 2024.
The phrase that sparked the fire: "Only..." and the duel with Lamine Yamal
The decisive moment came with a phrase that frames the debate: "The only one who can face Lamine is Mbappé. Not Bellingham, not Vini, not Rodrygo". The statement was direct and left Tomás Roncero without an immediate reply, with the set holding its breath for a few seconds before resuming the discussion. The show amplified the clip on their social media and the segment spread like wildfire among fans.
That assessment placed the debate on a very specific binary scale: goal versus unstoppable, efficiency versus dribbling. Carrasco didn't deny the Frenchman's goal tally; he pointed out, rather, that the impossibility of stopping the winger on a good day also wins matches without scoring a brace.
Data, context, and the question ahead: can Barça protect Lamine without holding him back?
Lamine Yamal was the Best Young Player of Euro 2024, leaving a masterpiece in the semifinals and consolidating his impact on big stages. The Rocafonda player has shown this past season that, despite his young age, he is among the top 10 in the world.
On the other side, the Frenchman arrived at Bernabéu in 2024 and already presents a track record that speaks for itself: 44 goals and 5 assists in 59 matches. If that trend keeps up at the start of LaLiga 2025/26, his candidacy for everything will be inevitable.