It’s official – Lamine Yamal is the hottest teenager in world football at the moment. The teenage sensation is enjoying the best time of his career so far, as he has experienced many good things in his young years, thanks to Xavi’s trust in him. The Spaniard has enjoyed regular minutes under Xavi and has proved to be a vital cog of the Barcelona machine that looks to defend its La Liga title.
The youngster has broken a number of records since joining the Spanish giants’ first team. His goal in Barcelona’s crunch La Liga clash against Granada yesterday saw him become the youngest-ever La Liga goalscorer at age 16, leading to comparisons with Lionel Messi, something his manager has dismissed.
Lamine Yamal becomes the youngest ever goalscorer in La Liga history at 16
If anyone had told Lamine Yamal he would be breaking a host of records this time last year when he was still playing for Barcelona’s academy, he would have laughed at them. However, he’s having a great year under Xavi after the former Barcelona captain gave him his debut last April. He ended the season with a few La Liga cameo appearances, but this season has been great for the Spanish international.
In Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Granada yesterday, Lamine Yamal scored the club’s first goal in the dying minutes of the first half to reduce the deficit after Xavi’s men had gone two goals behind in the opening 30 minutes of the game. With his goal, he became the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history at 16 years and 87 days.
With so many matches to still play in the group stage of this season’s Champions League, Yamal, who recently signed a 3-year contract extension at the club, has the opportunity to break Ansu Fati’s record as the youngest goalscorer in the Champions League, something that will see his stock rise to the highest level before the end of the campaign.
Xavi dismisses Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal comparisons
Xavi gave Yamal his debut at the club, and he will do anything to protect the youngster against unrealistic expectations and comparisons. The youngster, who mysteriously disappeared in Barca’s 1-0 win over Porto in the UCL – scored his first La Liga goal for the club yesterday, quickly drawing comparisons with seven-time Ballon d’Or Lionel Messi, but a video of Xavi putting a damper on Messi’s comparisons with the youngster quickly resurfaced on social media.
“The kid is playing at an amazing level at age 16,” Xavi said in a Champions League press conference. “This is very good, but let’s see what the future will bring rather than comparing him with Messi. Any footballer who has been compared to Messi did not end up well in the end,” he concluded.
Ansu Fati, who was once compared with Lionel Messi, is on a season-long loan at Brighton because of the youngster’s lack of playing time at Barcelona. Xavi was right to have shut down any Messi comparisons with Lamine Yamal.
Can Yamal break the Champions League goalscorer record this season? Make sure to tell us in the comments section.
