This is a daring comparison between Lamine Yamal and Leo Messi. But, at the same time, it is not a comparison between Lamine Yamal and Leo Messi. One is in his fourth season with Barcelona and the other spent 17 years winning and lifting titles.
Lamine is taking his first steps in Europe and Leo lifted no less than four Champions League trophies. This small list of achievements is enough to clarify that there is no room for debate. But what is worth mentioning, and the data shows this, is that the impact of the Rocafonda winger in his first four seasons has already surpassed that of the Argentine in the same time span.
Last hat-trick against Villarreal – the first of his career – by Lamine Yamal allowed him to surpass the number of goals scored by Messi in those first four years. And the Catalan still has months ahead of him to finish the competition. Lamine reached the figure of 43 goals, one more than those scored by Leo from his debut in 04-05 until 07-08. If we talk about assists, Lamine directly doubles those of the Argentine in that period of time: 48 assists compared to the 24 of the ‘flea’.
But let’s go back to the beginning. The progression of both from their appearance in the first team followed a similar path, with the exception that Lamine made his debut at the age of 15 years, nine months and 16 days, while Messi did so at 17 years, three months and 22 days. Almost two years difference. Everyone remembers Messi’s first goal against Albacete after a nice assist from Ronaldinho. Until that day, Messi had to play nine official matches with Barcelona. Lamine took just two more to open his account: it was against Granada at Los Carmenes, to start a comeback that would end in a draw.
Since then, the two have gained prominence and weight in the team. A first year of landing with few games, a second year of transition and the next two already as important figures in the team. Due to the context and the situation of the club, Lamine’s impact has been greater. While Messi was playing under the protection of an established figure like Ronaldinho, the Rocafonda player had to take over the attack very early on. Only Lewandowski’s goalscoring instinct and Raphinha’s explosion last season freed him from a responsibility he has carried too soon.
Champions League debut and a similar record
Both have a memorable night in the Champions League in those early days. Lamine’s came last season in the semi-final against Inter. Messi’s came at Stamford Bridge in a tough tie that was the start of the road to glory. Leo won his first Champions League there, although he stopped playing from the quarter-finals onwards due to an untimely injury. In terms of titles, this is where the main difference between the two lies in those four years.Leo won two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and the aforementioned Champions League. In Lamine’s record, with everything still to be decided in this fourth season, there are already two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey. In other words, by winning a title this season he would already surpass, at least in terms of numbers, Leo’s initial record with Barca. With that substantial difference of winning, or not, a Champions League so soon.
In the Champions League, the numbers are also similar. Both scored eight goals in the Champions League in their first four years – Lamine has not yet finished – and while Leo scored two goals in eight knockout matches, Lamine has so far scored three goals and provided two assists in 10 knockout matches.
Great performances against the eternal rival
The great stars, especially those who play for Barcelona, are also measured by their performance against their eternal rivals. Lamine Yamal has nothing to envy, we insist on those first four seasons, to what was done by Messi. The Argentine played four Clasicos in which he scored four goals. In memory is his first hat-trick as a Barcelona player in that duel with Van Nistelrooy, who scored two goals. A 3-3 draw that was confirmed as the first great exhibition in a great scenario of the Argentine star. Lamine, on the other hand, has already played eight Clasicos with three goals and two assists, leaving his mark with a great goal at the Bernabeu or the great game he offered in the last Copa del Rey final where he distributed those two assists to lift the title.
Both won titles from the start, both were soon known in Europe and both made the eternal rival suffer from the first moment. The road to reach Lionel Messi is long, too difficult, but if anyone can even dream of reaching that level of excellence, it is Lamine Yamal. For the moment, the beginnings promise as much or more than those of Barcelona’s greatest legend.
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