Two names, one legacy. Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, each born in Barcelona’s La Masia, each teenage sensations rewriting soccer historical past in their very own eras. But now, at simply 18 years previous, Yamal has already managed to surpass the Argentine legend in one key Barcelona statistic, sparking a brand new wave of debate throughout La Liga and past.
It feels virtually poetic that the prodigy now carrying Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 shirt shouldn’t be solely carrying Messi’s shadow however strolling firmly out of it. His performances, trophies, and information have already constructed a basis for a profession that many consider may someday rival the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s.
When Messi debuted for Barcelona in 2004, he entered a star-studded facet full of world champions and membership icons — Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Xavi Hernandez, and Carles Puyol. He was a vivid spark, however one amongst many. In contrast, Yamal arrived at a time when the membership seemed to rebuild its identification round homegrown youth.
Making his first-team debut at 15 years and 9 months, Yamal grew to become the youngest participant in Barcelona’s historical past, and later, at 16 years and 87 days, the youngest scorer in La Liga. He didn’t simply be part of the primary staff — he remodeled it. Since then, his rise has been meteoric. By 18, he has performed over 100 matches, scored 24 targets, and lifted 5 main trophies — together with two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, one Spanish Tremendous Cup, and the Euro 2024 trophy with Spain
Messi, by comparability, had one objective in 9 appearances earlier than turning 18, nonetheless discovering his rhythm in Frank Rijkaard’s facet. Yamal’s early publicity has given him a head begin — however what really units him aside goes past the pitch.
The stat that modifications the whole lot
Right here’s the place the story takes an interesting flip. Whereas Messi as soon as redefined greatness by way of his numbers on the sector, Yamal is now rewriting the document books off it. Based on Cadena SER, Lamine Yamal has already surpassed Lionel Messi in a single key La Liga statistic — and it has to do with international affect. “At solely 18 years previous, Yamal sells 3 times extra jerseys than Lionel Messi did throughout his time at Barcelona,” the report revealed.
The info paints a outstanding image. {The teenager} accounts for a staggering 80% of all Barcelona shirt gross sales, a document unmatched even in Messi’s prime. Fueled by the membership’s new international enlargement technique with Nike, Yamal’s No. 10 has grow to be not only a quantity, however a logo — the face of a brand new era.
Lionel Messi (left) and Lamine Yamal (proper)
His business attain extends past merchandise. Each look he makes drives a 176% spike in X (Twitter) engagement, 146% on Fb, and 87% on Instagram, with 9 of the membership’s twenty most-viewed movies final season that includes him.
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The advertising and marketing wave round Yamal has even spilled into international partnerships. The younger star is now featured on Adidas’s new World Cup 2026 ball, additional solidifying his standing as soccer’s subsequent international ambassador.
