Lamine Yamal closes in on Kylian Mbappé’s 21st-century goalscoring record after strike vs. Villarreal

Lamine Yamal continued his impressive run of form on Sunday, getting on the scoresheet as FC Barcelona secured all three points against Villarreal. With another goal added to his tally, the teenage sensation is now closing in on one of Kylian Mbappé’s notable 21st-century goalscoring records.

Barcelona traveled to Estadio de la Cerámica to face Villarreal on Matchday 18 of the 2025-26 La Liga season, looking to extend their lead at the top of the table. Facing a 10-man Villarreal side and already holding a 1-0 advantage, a series of rebounds inside the box led Frenkie de Jong to lay the ball off to Yamal, who fired a powerful strike to make it 2–0 in the 63rd minute.

With the goal, Lamine Yamal has now reached 21 goals in 87 La Liga appearances. The Barcelona star has become the second player with the most goals scored before turning 19 in Europe’s top five leagues during the 21st century.

The record is currently held by Kylian Mbappé, whose explosive emergence in Ligue 1 saw him score 23 goals before his 19th birthday. The current Real Madrid forward achieved the mark with AS Monaco between the 2015–16 and 2017–18 seasons, then added to it after completing his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, before turning 19 later that year.

Yamal had already made history in 2023 by becoming the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history at just 16 years and 87 days old. Set to turn 19 on July 13, 2026, and now just two goals shy of Mbappé’s record, it appears only a matter of time before the Spanish prodigy adds another milestone to his rapidly growing résumé.

Yamal concludes 2025 in top form

Scoring has never been Lamine Yamal’s defining trait, with his dribbling, creativity, and ability to create space standing out, but 2025 has marked a breakthrough year in front of goal. The young winger has taken a significant step forward, setting the stage for what could be an even bigger 2026 in a World Cup year.

Across the 2025–26 season, Yamal has recorded eight goals and 11 assists in 19 appearances, while finishing the 2025 calendar year with 47 total goal contributions, one more than Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. As he continues to develop and impress, Yamal has set a high standard heading into the new year.