Bayern youngster Karl in Messi's footsteps

Growing up with Lionel Messi posters on his bedroom wall, Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl still feels the Argentine superstar's influence in his daily life.

Media headlines and fan comments have long dubbed him "Bayern's Messi," regardless of how little such comparisons may make sense.

Lennart Karl (L) of Bayern Munich vies with Max Rosenfelder of SC Freiburg during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg in Munich, Germany, Nov. 22, 2025. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)

After nine top-flight appearances and two goals, Karl has stepped into the limelight, openly admitting that "Messi is my idol."

Karl says he does not mind being compared to his childhood hero, but stresses that he still has a long way to go.

"The only thing I see with him and me is that we are both left-footed," he said.

Fans, meanwhile, see an emerging 1.68-meter-tall attacker whose low center of gravity, tight control and close dribbling style inevitably recall the 1.70-meter Argentine.

While a senior national team call-up has become a realistic prospect, Karl remains a key pillar of Germany's under-21 side. Ahead of its UEFA Champions League clash against Arsenal on Wednesday, Bayern is trying to keep the noise around him in check.

"Lenny is Lenny," coach Vincent Kompany said, noting that the hype is acceptable, but comes from outside the club.

"He must enjoy the current situation and playing football," the Bayern coach added. He doesn't follow outside evaluations but makes sure "that he can be the best version of Lennart Karl."

"We all have fun with and love his Tiki-Taka abilities," said midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who added that he has never seen a young player with such self-confidence.

As Karl collects his first meaningful minutes and increasingly becomes a game-changing option, Messi is not a role model in every respect. On his Argentina debut in 2005 against Hungary, Messi received a red card within minutes of coming on.

Karl insisted that the senior national team, let alone the World Cup, "is not in my mind."

"It works, or things will have to go on some other way. Of course, I hope it works, whenever the time comes," he said.