Who is Lamine Yamal? Barcelona's latest prodigy and La Liga's youngest goal-scorer

Stuart Telford

8 Oct 2023 15:50 CDT
4 min read

Barcelona's youth academy at La Masia is famed for producing some of the greatest footballers of all time, like Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, and they have unearthed another precocious talent in Lamine Yamal…

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Yamal is still only 16 years old, but he is already the youngest player ever to play for Barcelona, having made his debut in the Blaugrana's 4-0 win over Real Betis in 2023.

The winger is now a key part of Xavi's first-team squad and he was called up to Spain's senior team during the September international break.

Yamal became his nation’s youngest ever player, goal-scorer and starter, thanks to his goal off the bench in their 7-0 demolition of Georgia and his inclusion in the starting XI against Cyprus.

Furthermore, Yamal is the youngest player to win La Liga, after achieving the feat in the 2022-23 season, and he became the competition's youngest ever goal-scorer thanks to his strike against Granada in October 2023.

Barca are enduring financial dire straits at the moment, but with players like Yamal coming through the youth academy, they can look forward to the future.

What position does Yamal play in?

Yamal is a left-footed right winger, primarily, but has thus far shown his ability to play throughout the final third, with his academy coaches of the opinion that he will end up as a string-pulling No.10.

Lamine Yamal's debut for Barcelona.

At 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, he's now their youngest player ever 🤩pic.twitter.com/LUMXn6fy6e
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) April 30, 2023

How good is Yamal?

Whilst it is true that for every Messi at La Masia there has been a Bojan Krkic, Yamal has nonetheless captured the attention of everyone at the club, up to and including Xavi.

Born to an Equatorial Guinean mother and Moroccan father, it is no accident that Spain have now made him their youngest ever player at senior level.

"As a child he reminded me of Rivaldo, always playing with his head up, dribbling, protecting the ball," Barca TV journalist Jaume Marcet told Mundo Deportivo. "Now he also stands out for his 'impossible' passes."

In just his fourth Barcelona appearance, Yamal provided an assist against Villarreal and earned the Man of the Match award after a stellar performance.

He then scored his first La Liga goal in Barca's 2-2 draw against Granada on 8 October 2023 to become the youngest goal-scorer in the competition's history at 16 years and 87 days old.

He has naturally drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi thanks to his breakout into senior football, and Yamal looks like the next big thing to come from La Masia.

What clubs are interested in Yamal?

Yamal has not yet made many suitors, most likely due to the fact Barca simply wouldn't sell, and his contract situation means he is unlikely to leave Camp Nou anytime soon.

When does Yamal's contract expire?

Yamal's current contract at Barcelona runs until June 2026 after he signed a new deal in 2023.

How old is Yamal?

Born on 13 June 2007, Yamal is still just 16 years old at the time of writing.

What is Yamal's Instagram?

Yamal's Instagram can be found under the handle @lamineyamal. He has 4m followers as of October 2023 - a number that has grown by over 2m since April.