Celebrity: Carl’s style of play is very similar to Messi, but whether he can reach Messi’s level remains to be seen

Hupu November 19 News Lennart Karl is currently causing a sensation in Bayern Munich and the German U21 national team. Schalke 04 legendary star Olaf Thorn even compared the young player to Messi.

"In my opinion, Karl is the player with the greatest potential - not only to become a regular player for Bayern but also for the national team," Ton said in an interview with "Sport1".

The 59-year-old coach added: "His style of play is reminiscent of Messi. Whether he can reach the heights of this great idol remains to be seen, but his potential is beyond doubt."

Karl recently performed well when he played for the German U21 national team for the first time, scoring three goals in two games. Thorne can understand why the 17-year-old has not yet been considered by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. "Most players need to become the main force in the club. So I think it is a good thing that he keeps Lennart Karl in the U21 national team," the expert emphasized, but he also pointed out: "Karl is still a candidate in my opinion. He will definitely have a chance to be called up in the future and may even be selected for the 2026 World Cup squad."

Torn also spoke highly of Leroy Sane. The Galatasaray player performed well against both Luxembourg (2-0) and Slovakia (6-0). Nagelsmann had not considered him before. "He was the player that impressed me the most in both games and I give him special praise," the expert said.