Lamine Yamal is football’s most exciting young star, and it is no surprise that comparisons are already being made with none other than Lionel Messi.
While still only 17, Yamal has not only shown maturity well beyond his years but has also broken some records that Messi once held during his early Barcelona days.
Let’s take a look at 10 remarkable records that Yamal has already claimed, many of them ahead of schedule, even by Messi’s lofty standards.
1. Youngest Player to Reach 100 Appearances for Barcelona
Yamal reached 100 competitive appearances for Barcelona at just 17 years and 291 days old, making him the youngest player in the club’s history to hit the milestone.
To put that into perspective, Lionel Messi did not reach his 100th appearance until he was 20 years and 248 days old.
2. Youngest Scorer in a Champions League Semi-Final
In a Champions League semi-final clash against Inter Milan, Yamal made history by scoring at the age of 17 years and 291 days, becoming the youngest player ever to score at that stage of the competition. He broke the previous record held by Kylian Mbappé.
3. Youngest Goalscorer in El Clásico History
The teenager added his name to El Clásico folklore in October 2024, scoring against Real Madrid at just 17 years and 105 days old. That made him the youngest scorer ever in one of football’s greatest fixtures, a record previously held by Ansu Fati.
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Lamine Yamal against Real Madrid.
Lamine Yamal records
4. Breaking Messi’s La Liga Dribbling Record
Yamal showed his flair and fearlessness against Alavés in February 2025, completing 11 successful dribbles out of 21 attempts. That edged out Messi’s previous record of 10 successful dribbles in a single La Liga match, set back in 2007 against Mallorca.
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5. Outstanding Early Career Stats
By the time he turned 17, Yamal had already racked up 22 goals and 33 assists in his first 100 games for Barcelona. In comparison, Messi had scored 41 goals but only provided 20 assists at the same point in his career.
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Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal (Credit: Imago)
6. Youngest Goalscorer in La Liga History
Yamal became the youngest player to ever score in La Liga when he found the net against Granada in October 2023, aged just 16 years and 87 days. He broke the long-standing record held by Fabrice Olinga of Málaga. The timing could not have been tighter, as Yamal had just 11 days left before ageing out of the record-breaking range.
7. Youngest Goalscorer in Barcelona’s League History
That same goal against Granada also earned Yamal the record for Barcelona’s youngest-ever scorer in a league match. He overtook Fati, who had previously held the record after scoring at 16 years and 304 days old. Yamal did it with time to spare, as he was just 16 years and 87 days old.
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Barcelona Lamine Yamal continues to draw Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo comparison with historic Champions League performance.
Lamine Yamal records
8. Youngest Player to Score a Brace in La Liga
In February 2024, Yamal became the youngest player to ever score twice in a single La Liga match, again doing so against Granada. At just 16 years and 213 days, he beat the previous record, held once more by Fati. No one else in league history has scored a brace before turning 17.
9. Youngest Player to Register a La Liga Assist
Another entry in the history books came in August 2023, when Yamal provided a brilliant assist for Gavi in a match against Villarreal. He was only 16 years and 45 days old at the time, making him the youngest player to register an assist in La Liga.
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Barcelona Lamine Yamal continues to draw Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo comparison with historic Champions League performance. | Credit: IMAGO
Lamine Yamal records
10. Youngest Player to Appear in a Champions League Knockout Match
Yamal also made Champions League history when he featured in the round of 16 against Napoli in February 2024. At just 16 years and 223 days, he became the youngest player ever to appear in a knockout match in the competition’s long history.
