In Spain’s 2-1 Euro semifinal victory over France, 16-year-old FC Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal stole the show. At the 21-minute mark, he lazered the ball into the net, tying the game 1-1. This goal made Yamal the youngest scorer in men’s Euro history.
With his impressive performance against France, Yamal earned himself man of the match, also being the youngest player in UEFA history to receive that award. At 16 years old, Yamal already has the same amount of assists at major tournament knockouts as Cristiano Ronaldo had in his career (2).
It is extremely impressive to perform this well at such a young age, especially on a big stage like the Euro. Yamal has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi because of his talent on the pitch and because they both started their careers with FC Barcelona.
Messi and Yamal have a deeper history than most know. In 2007, a 20-year-old Lionel Messi cradled Lamine Yamal, who was six months old at the time, during a photo session in the dressing room of the Camp Nou in Barcelona.
With how good Yamal is at such a young age, does the FC Barcelona forward have the potential to reach Messi or possibly reach GOAT status? To compare the two players, let’s look at what both were doing at 16.
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Messi at 16 Years Old
At 16, Messi advanced through five development squads in a single season. He went from from FC Barcelona’s Juvenile B team to a substitute appearance for the top team in a November 2003 friendly against Porto.
Messi stayed with the Juvenile B team for a brief amount of time before making his way up to the Juvenile A team. With the juvenile A team, Messi won four consecutive player of the tournament awards and scored 18 goals in his first 11 matches.
Barcelona Manager Frank Rijkaard noticed Messi’s talents and promoted him to train with his injury-ridden first team. At 16 years and four months, Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team in the friendly against Porto.
Shortly after, Messi was moved full-time from the Juvenile sides into the senior teams. He would train and play with the Barcelona B team while also playing for Barcelona C in many matches. In February 2004, due to his quick rise, Messi received his first professional contract. The contract included a €30 million release clause, which a month later rose to €80 million after his first game in the Segunda Division for Barcelona’s B team. ⠀
Messi finished the 2003-2004 season scoring 36 goals in competitive matches. He made his league debut in October 2004 and would feature regularly on Barcelona’s first team from then on.
Yamal at 16 Years Old
Lamine Yamal joined FC Barcelona at the age of seven and progressed through the age groups faster than any other player of his generation. In April 2023, he made his debut for the first team at 15 years and nine months, cementing himself as the youngest player ever to represent Barcelona.
Despite being listed with the second team, he has established a frequent presence on the first team for the 2023-2024 season, appearing in 38 games and scoring five goals. Now in the Euro, Yamal is at the forefront of the Spanish attack, hoping to bring home the trophy.
Yamal has set a myriad of records at the Euro and with Barcelona this season.
He has become the youngest:
- Starter ever in La Liga
- Starter ever for Barcelona
- To ever play in La Liga
- Goal-scorer ever for Barcelona in La Liga
- Starter ever in a UCL game
- Goal-scorer in a UCL game
- To appear in a UEFA Euro knockout stage game
- Scorer in men’s Euro history
Can Yamal Reach Messi?
With both players having similar rises to stardom playing for Barca, it’s only natural to compare them. While Messi is one of the GOAT’s of soccer, Yamal has achieved more than Messi did when he was 16.
Yamal is on the trajectory to become an amazing player and will be elite for a long time. While it’s hard to say if he can reach GOAT status just yet, the sky is the limit for the 16-year-old forward.
