At just 18, Lamine Yamal stood on the cusp of rewriting history.
Had he lifted the Ballon d'Or in Paris, he would have become the youngest winner ever.
He didn't - Ousmane Dembele's collective triumph with PSG proved too much - but that hardly matters. The very fact the teenager was even a candidate is revolutionary. He seems destined to create an era.
Lamine Yamal, who did win the young player of the year award on Monday, is not simply a footballer, he is a mirror for his generation.
For decades, football sold us the idea that greatness came through sacrifice and humility.
