According to a report by Barca Universal on Thursday October 22, 2026, former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger Luis Figo has praised Lamine Yamal ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico, while suggesting that Jose Mourinho will need a well-organised defensive plan to contain the Barcelona sensation.

The highly anticipated encounter will take place at the Spotify Camp Nou on October 25, with both teams looking to secure an important result against their biggest rivals.

Speaking during an appearance on a Betfair programme, the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner expressed his admiration for Yamal, who has established himself as one of Barcelona’s most influential attacking players.

Figo even joked that playing alongside the teenager would have forced him to change positions because Yamal has made the right-wing role his own.

“If we had played together, perhaps I would have had to play on the left and switch positions,” Figo said.

The former winger also reflected on the differences between his early career and the opportunities available to young players today, explaining that he did not immediately enjoy regular playing time when he joined Barcelona at around 22 years old.

Yamal, meanwhile, has risen to prominence at a much younger age, becoming a central figure in Barcelona’s attacking plans under Hansi Flick.

With the teenager expected to attract considerable attention against Real Madrid, Figo discussed how Mourinho could approach the challenge of containing him.

The Portuguese believes that assigning one defender to follow Yamal across the entire pitch would be an impractical strategy. Instead, he expects defensive responsibility to depend on the winger’s position and the areas he occupies during the game.

“I think we see less and less man-marking on the field. Logically, you mark the player who drifts most into your area, in this case, the left-back. Man-marking him all over the field would be madness,” he explained.

Figo’s comments suggest that Madrid may need a coordinated defensive approach, with the full-back receiving support from nearby teammates whenever Yamal threatens to create danger.

However, containing the Barcelona youngster will not be straightforward. His dribbling ability, creativity and confidence in one-on-one situations make him capable of changing a match in a single moment.

Figo also offered his prediction for the Clasico, expecting an entertaining 2-2 draw. He backed Yamal and Raphinha to score for Barcelona, while predicting that Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham would find the net for Real Madrid.

The former winger believes Barcelona’s attacking style will create opportunities, but he also expects Madrid to exploit the space behind Flick’s high defensive line.

“Barça is an attacking team, they always score goals. Real Madrid will surely have counter-attacking opportunities, and Mbappe is a player who thrives on space ahead of him,” he said.

Figo also praised Mourinho’s managerial qualities, revealing that he believes the Portuguese coach could have succeeded at Barcelona because of his knowledge of the club and its footballing philosophy.

As Sunday’s encounter approaches, Yamal’s influence will be one of the major talking points. Barcelona will hope their young star can deliver another decisive performance, while Real Madrid will look to limit his opportunities and use their attacking quality to trouble the hosts.