There’s an argument that Lamine Yamal, 17, is the greatest footballer in the world. He’s unpredictable, a record-breaker and Barcelona’s go-to guy under Hansi Flick's tenureship. “Give Lamine the ball and let him do the rest” could be the new mantra of La Blaugrana.
Many wonder whether adjusting to the well-loaded schedule of the beautiful game will have an effect on his ability to perform later down the line in his career – but, as of May 2025, it’s simply so fun to watch the 2007-born phenom strut his stuff.
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Fans were left stunned by the image shared by Lamine Yamal's father, which shows the Spaniard with Lionel Messi over 16 years ago.
Although comparison is often considered the thief of joy, there is such a semblance between how Rosario-born Lionel Messi and Yamal have stamped their authority on the La Liga behemoths that it’s worth taking a look at their respective first 100 games for the club.
Taking their potency, win rate and collection of silverware into account and, in celebration of Yamal becoming part of the fabled 100 club, here’s a closer comparison between the two superstars with the help of Transfermarkt and MessivsRonaldo.
Goals and Assists
Messi much more potent in the final third
Although he was referencing the never-seen-before duopoly between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are widely regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time, Manchester United defender-turned-pundit Rio Ferdinand once insisted that it's better to appreciate a rivalry.
"People try and make comparisons about who’s better, just enjoy them man.”
For both players, goals and assists are just the tip of the iceberg of what they are able to produce in all corners of the pitch – but, regardless, scoring goals and fashioning chances is undeniably central to their brilliance, as evidenced by their early goalscoring return.
It took Messi, now 37 and a one-time World Cup winner, a while to reach the 100-goal mark, but what about inside a century of appearances? Well, he managed to notch a more-than-impressive tally of 41 goals – highlighting his potency from a tender age.
Yamal, however, has not been as threatening in the final third – as evidenced by his tally of 21 strikes. That’s not to say that he’s not a brilliant goalscorer, but Messi’s record is, well, difficult to emulate and even outclass to a certain extent.
What the world-beating 17-year-old lacks in the art of goalscoring – well, in comparison to Messi, at least – he certainly more than makes up for in regard to his creative nous. With the Ballon d'Or chasing duo of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha to feed, he’s plundered 33 assists.
That’s 12 more than Messi managed to accrue at the stage of 100 games. His perfect blend of trickery and passing ability means that his record-breaking nature is set to continue – and, perhaps, there’s an obvious chance that he shatters Messi’s record of 303.
Goals and Assists - Yamal vs Messi
Statistic Yamal Messi
Goals 21 41
Assists 33 21
Minutes per goal 317.5 164.66
Minutes per goal or assist 127 120.55
Win Rate
Yamal has inspired more Barcelona victories
It’s all well and good finding the back of the net with relative ease. After all, some say it’s the most difficult art to master – but what is more important to Barcelona’s success over the years is whether or not their ability to find the back of the net influenced the scoreline.
Yamal’s ascent from fresh-faced youngster to one of the best on the planet has coincided with Barcelona’s emergence as one of the deadliest teams – from back to front – and, as such, his win rate of 71% (71/100) is mightily impressive from a holistic perspective.
Albeit narrowly, that betters Messi’s record of 67%. Football aficionados remembers when ex-Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Deco trudged off the field to make way for a young and hungry Messi – but his next 100 games consisted of 67 wins, 19 draws and 14 losses. That's not a record to wince at, of course – but some would expect more from a player commonly admired as the best of all time.
A sense of inevitability followed the seasoned forward as he became the youngest appearance-maker for the Spanish heavyweights, but that’s a record since surpassed by Yamal, who also has 14 losses to his name on his way to reaching his maiden 100 outings.
His tally of wins (71), however, sees him run out as the winner when comparing their points per game rates. Thus far, Yamal has notched a record of 2.27 – which is superior in comparison to Messi’s 2.2. Whether he is able to continue influencing encounters at such an alarming rate remains to be seen.
Win Rate - Yamal vs Messi
Statistic
Yamal
Messi
Win rate
71/100 (71%)
67/100 (67%)
W/D/L
71/15/14
67/19/14
Points per game
2.27
2.2
Number of Trophies
100 games in, both players were very decorated
By the time Messi – who now plies his trade for David Beckham-led Inter Miami – left for the lure of Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, the dainty Argentine had held every trophy possible aloft and, as such, is one of the most decorated footballers of all time.
Messi's trophy-laden career at the top of the beautiful game is marked, of course, by Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 – but his domestic success that he enjoyed throughout his record-setting 778-game career at Barcelona simply cannot be undermined.
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Lionel Messi's trophy collection, including La Liga, Ligue 1 and Champions League titles, as well as the World Cup.
Messi, who is a 191-cap Argentina international, had accumulated four pieces of silverware by his 100th outing for Barcelona, including two La Liga titles and the Champions League in the 2005/06 campaign. Not only that, but the superstar won the Supercopa de Espana in the same season.
In terms of Yamal, he also tasted international success after he, and his partner in crime, Nico Williams, inspired Spain to Euro 2024 glory against England. Domestically, after reaching the 100-game mark for his boyhood club, he’s won three trophies.
Whether Yamal can match Messi's 34 trophies in red and blue remains to be seen, but he's made a strong start. The teenage sensation provided a double of assists in their latest final triumph – this season’s Copa del Rey victory against Real Madrid.
Yamal played an all-crucial role in Barcelona winning the Supercopa de Espana earlier this term but played a much smaller role in the 2022/23 La Liga triumph, making just the solitary appearance. That said, he could add another two trophies to his repertoire come May.
Number of Trophies - Yamal vs Messi
Statistic
Yamal
Messi
Number of trophies
3
4
Trophies
1x La Liga (22/23)
1x Copa del Rey (24/25)
1x Supercopa de Espana (24/25)