During a stormy season at FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez made a bold decision: he handed a debut to 15-year-old Lamine Yamal. He stepped onto the field wearing the No. 41 jersey. What looked like a rushed decision turned into one of the club’s biggest successes in recent years. Since that day, Yamal has grown into a key player for the team. Now, he has officially reached 100 appearances in a Barcelona shirt. Following this milestone, many fans have begun asking how old Messi was when he reached the same mark.
With his start against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League, Lamine Yamal has officially reached 100 appearances for FC Barcelona. He did it at just 17 years, 9 months, and 17 days. This makes him one of the youngest players in club history to hit that mark. In contrast, Lionel Messi reached 100 appearances at age 20, during the 2007-08 season. However, the context and the impact were very different.
In his first 100 games, Yamal has already recorded 21 goals and 33 assists. Messi, in the same span, scored 41 goals and added 13 assists. That is a strong reminder of the Argentine’s early impact. But there is a key detail: Yamal reached these numbers at 17. At that age, Messi had scored just once for the senior team. Therefore, Yamal could surpass Messi’s numbers before turning 20. His rise shows just how special his talent is.
Comparing these two players is completely fair. The expectations on Lamine are high, even though he is still in his formative years. That said, putting him side by side with Lionel Messi rarely benefits anyone. Most players lose in that comparison. Messi set a standard that is almost impossible to match. Besides, Lamine has a different playstyle. He is more of a natural dribbler. In that sense, he is closer to Neymar Jr. Still, he is building his own identity on the field.
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal
Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi shares unexpected words towards Lamine Yamal ahead of Champions League showdown
Lamine Yamal is making headlines in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. He has scored four goals and provided four assists. With those numbers, he stands out as the youngest player to score in this edition of the tournament. He also played a key role in the quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund. In that match, he scored an important goal and helped drive Barcelona’s attack throughout the game.
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Considering his performance, Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi had some surprising words for the young player. “Congratulations to Barcelona for its youth system and its great talents, (Lamine Yamal) is a unique talent in the world. He makes great plays and is not personalistic, he puts his work at the service of the team,” stated on press conference.
