LAMINE YAMAL VS LIONEL MESSI: WHO HAD THE BETTER STATS AT AGE EIGHTEEN
Lamine Yamal insists he isn't the "new Messi" despite shattering records. Explore the data behind his historic rise at Barça.
So, Lionel Messi's getting ready to play against Lamine Yamal, who a lot of people think could be the next big thing. They both came up through Barca, playing on the right, and even wore the number 10. People had high hopes for both of them early on.
Yamal's got a ways to go to reach Messi's level, what with those eight Ballon d'Or awards. But how do their stats compare at 18?
Yamal's already played 100 games for Barcelona. Did Messi do more in his first 100?
Yamal vs. Messi: The 18-Year-Old Stats
This Barca star turned 18 last July (2025), but he'd already played a ton of soccer. According to Planet Football, he has played 127 games for club and country and scored 74 goals since his debut in April 2023.
At 15 years, nine months, and 16 days, he was the youngest player ever in La Liga. He's broken a ton more records since then, like being the youngest scorer in the Spanish league, the youngest to start a Champions League game, and the youngest to play for Spain.
For comparison, Messi debuted at 17 and only played nine times before turning 18. He only had one goal by then, scored in injury time in a 2-0 win against Albacete Balompie when he was 17 years, 10 months, and seven days old.
It just shows how quickly Yamal has risen to the top. He's already one of the world's best. This Finalissima match in March could be the changing of the guard as Messi winds down and Yamal gets going.
Fans were shocked by a photo of Yamal and Messi from 16 years ago, shared by Yamal's dad.
Yamal Doesn't Want to Be the Next Messi
Yamal has said he wants to make his own name at Barcelona, not be compared to Messi. Back in April 2025, when asked about the comparisons, he said, "I don't compare myself to him, or anyone else, especially not Messi."
It doesn't make sense to compare myself to Messi. I'm just going to enjoy myself and be myself.
He said again in December, "I respect him for what he's done for soccer." If we meet on the field, there'll be respect because we're both players and because he's the best.
He knows I'm a player too, and I respect him, so it's mutual. We both know I don't want to be Messi, and he knows I don't want to be him.
I want to do my own thing. I don't want to play like him or wear his number 10 or anything like that.
BARTOMEU UNCOVERS SECRET 2017 MBAPPé BID DURING REVEALING CADENA SER INTERVIEW
Josep Maria Bartomeu reveals Barcelona targeted Kylian Mbappé in 2017, but coaches preferred a move for Ousmane Dembélé instead
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has just dropped a bit of a bombshell: right after Neymar left for PSG, Barcelona actually went after Kylian Mbappe. That chaotic summer in 2017, when Neymar's record-breaking move sent shockwaves through the club, left them scrambling for a new superstar.
Bartomeu admitted in an interview with SER that Neymar’s shock exit caught everyone off guard. “Neymar’s departure came as a shock to the club; we didn’t want him to leave,” he said. Suddenly, Barcelona was scouring the market for big names, and with Mbappe starring at Monaco, he became their top target.
But here’s the twist: even though the club reached out for both Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, the coaching staff made the final call. Bartomeu explained, “We made an offer for Mbappe and another for Dembele. The coaching staff preferred Dembele.” So, instead of pushing for Mbappe, Barcelona pressed ahead with Dembele, ultimately striking a deal with Borussia Dortmund worth €105 million plus add-ons.
Of course, there was the small matter of money, too. Bartomeu clarified that the price Monaco set for Mbappe was simply out of reach: €180 million, take it or leave it, and it was PSG who could step up. “It wasn’t an offer in the strict sense. They would say to you, "He's worth €180 million." If you want Mbappe, it’s €180 million, and Paris paid it.” Between the steep price and the coaching staff’s strong preference for Dembele, Barcelona backed off.
Bartomeu also opened up about how he handled transfers during his tenure. One thing stood out: after he pushed for the Luis Suarez signing from Liverpool despite all the controversy and got hammered with criticism, he decided to step back and trust the technical staff from then on. Suarez went on to win the Champions League and four La Liga titles with Barcelona, but that experience taught Bartomeu a lesson. “The only decision I made as president or as an administrator, and which I defended vigorously, was the signing of Suarez,” he said. “I was heavily criticised by all the media, so I learned the lesson that the president or administrators cannot interfere in sporting matters. We must trust the technical staff, the sporting directors, and the coaches; it is they who decide on signings.”
BARCELONA SECURE 14-POINT LEAD OVER MADRID; ESPANYOL RESULT NOW DETERMINES TITLE
Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres scored late to move Barcelona 14 points clear, leaving them one Madrid loss from the title.
Barcelona now sit 14 points ahead of Real Madrid, and if Madrid slips up against Espanyol on Sunday, the title’s theirs.
Lewandowski finally broke the deadlock after 81 minutes, nodding in a header, and Torres added another four minutes from the end. Osasuna didn't quit, though Raul Garcia pulled one back late, but Barcelona held on for all three points. They’re inching closer to a second league title in a row, the club’s 29th overall.
If Madrid beats Espanyol, Barcelona’s next chance to seal it comes in the Clásico on May 10 against their biggest rivals.
Flick’s trying to keep his team’s focus on the next match rather than the Clasico, but Barcelona played the first half like a squad with little to lose. Missing the injured Lamine Yamal, they lost a chunk of their energy on the attack. Sure, they dominated possession, but breaking down Osasuna for real chances? That was tough.
Roony Bardghji, filling in for Yamal on the right, managed a decent long shot, but Osasuna’s keeper, Sergio Herrera, had no trouble stopping it. Honestly, Osasuna nearly shocked everyone before halftime. Ante Budimir battled through two defenders and poked the ball off the post.
Barcelona picked up the pace after the break. Dani Olmo should’ve scored from close range, but he fluffed it. Flick then rolled the dice from the bench, bringing on three subs, including Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, to take over the right flank.
Rashford almost made an immediate impact, curling a shot just over and injecting some much-needed speed. He set up the opener too, swinging in a perfect cross for Lewandowski, who lost his marker and buried his header. Torres, another sub, finished with precision to double the lead.
Still, it wasn’t comfortable. Garcia scored for Osasuna in stoppage time, left wide open in the box, forcing Barcelona to sweat out the last minutes. The Catalans dug in, clearing everything in sight as Osasuna pressed, but finally, they held on for their tenth league win in a row. Now, all they can do is wait.
