da realsbet： The teenager has made a remarkable start to life in the Blaugrana first team, reaching new milestones every week
da 888casino： Lamine Yamal has gone from a highly-touted youth product with a long way to go, to a bonafide La Liga star in six short months. The latest jewel of Barcelona's famous La Masia academy, the winger was, like so many others before him, compared to Lionel Messi in his early days.
But since cracking the Barcelona first team, he has become his own player entirely. The teenager has scored two and assisted one in 11 appearances for the club this season, and also scored for the senior Spain international team in September 2023.
It has all led to praise from his manager, and expectation from the wider public. How far Yamal can go remains to be seen, but the records he has broken so far certainly speak for themselves. GOAL takes a look at Yamal's biggest accomplishments in Barcelona and Spain colours so far.
GettyYoungest player to make a Barcelona appearance
In the spring of 2023, there were whispers that a 15-year-old Yamal could feature for Barca's first team. The Blaugrana had injuries on the wing, with Ousmane Dembele struggling for fitness and Raphinha in need of backup, so Xavi named the teenager to a handful of matchday squads.
And on April 29 that year, Yamal got his chance. The youngster entered the fray against Real Betis in the 83rd minute, put a shot on target and showed, in flashes, the kind of spark he can provide to Xavi's side. And at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, he shattered the record of 16 years, 9 months and 25 days held by another La Masia starlet, Ansu Fati.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesYoungest player to start in La Liga
Yamal didn't need too long to start providing an attacking outlet for the team once his Barcelona career got going. After making a crucial cameo appearance against Tottenham to help Barca win the Joan Gamper trophy, he played his way into Xavi's plans for the 2023-24 campaign.
He was, accordingly, rewarded with a start. With Raphinha suspended and Ousmane Dembele leaving for PSG, Yamal was brought into the XI for Barca's clash with Cadiz on August 20. The teenager, at 16 years and 38 days old, played as a right-wing-back and was immensely influential as the Blaugrana earned three points against a dogged Cadiz side. He wasn't only the youngest player in history to start for Barcelona – Yamal also bested the previous La Liga record, held by Fabrice Olinga, by three months.
Youngest player to assist a goal in La Liga
And after impressing on his first start, Yamal did enough to stay around the squad — even when those around him found fitness.
His first big key performance for the Blaugrana came against Villarreal when he grabbed an assist, which helped the Balugrana to a chaotic 4-3 win. That assist, a fine angled ball to the far post, made him the youngest to set up a Liga goal in the 21st century, at 16 years and 45 days, beating a record previously held by 16-year-old Juanmi Jimenez, who assisted for Malaga in 2010.
Getty ImagesYoungest player to start in the Champions League
Xavi admitted in the weeks after the Villarreal game that he wanted to give Yamal intermittent rest and wouldn't commit to starting the teenager on a regular basis.
However, as injuries hit, and Yamal continued to find form, the manager's hand was forced. He started Yamal in the Barcelona's second 2023-24 Champions League fixture, naming him in the first XI for a tricky fixture against Porto. And although the winger didn't score or assist, he was among his side's most viable attacking threats in a 1-0 win.
While wasn't the youngest player to appear in a Champions League contest — Youssoufa Moukoko had only just celebrated his 16th birthday when he came off the bench for Dortmund in 2020 — the teenager became the youngest starter ever at an age of 16 years and 83 days. He broke a nearly-30-year-old record, pipping Celestine Babayaro, who was three days older than Yamal when he started for Anderlecht in 1994.