Since his debut at just 15 years old, Lamine Yamal has shown extraordinary talent that allowed him to establish himself at Barcelona despite his young age. Now, after several seasons as a professional, the Spanish winger is making giant strides in his career, putting him on par with icons like Lionel Messi.
This Saturday, Yamal scored one of Barcelona’s goals in a 3-0 win over Mallorca in matchday 23 of La Liga. His goal came in the 61st minute, when he received a pass from Dani Olmo and struck powerfully from outside the box with his left foot, leaving the opposing goalkeeper with no chance. Robert Lewandowski and Marc Bernal scored the other goals.
Yamal’s goal not only helped Barcelona secure the victory over Mallorca, which consolidates their position at the top of the La Liga standings, but it also marked his 40th goal for the club in 136 appearances—an impressive figure considering he is only 18 years and 204 days old.
His first goal came on October 8, 2023, in a La Liga match against Granada. Since then, he has scored 24 goals in the Spanish league, 7 in the Copa del Rey, and 9 in the UEFA Champions League. Unsurprisingly, this season is his most prolific yet, with 14 goals and 13 assists in 29 matches across all competitions.
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004 at just 17 years old.
How long did it take Messi to score 40 goals for Barcelona?
To put Lamine Yamal’s numbers into perspective, it’s worth comparing them with Lionel Messi’s early career. At 18 years and 204 days—the same age Yamal is now—the Argentine forward had only played 23 matches and scored 3 goals for Barcelona.
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Lamine Yamal reaches goalscoring feat at FC Barcelona last seen with Lionel Messi
Messi had to wait much longer to reach his first 40 goals for the club. He achieved the milestone on February 20, 2008, when he scored a brace in Barcelona’s 3-2 win over Celtic in the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. At that time, Messi was 20 years and 241 days old.
Comparing Yamal and Messi on the international stage
Lamine Yamal’s early impact at Barcelona also extends to the Spanish national team. He is now a regular in coach Luis De La Fuente’s call-ups and played a key role in Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 title at just 17 years old.
In this regard, Yamal also has a clear advantage over Messi. So far, the Barcelona winger has 23 appearances, 6 goals, and 12 assists for Spain, along with the European title. Messi, by comparison, had played only 5 matches for Argentina at the same age, with two assists and no goals.
