Lamine Yamal goes past Lionel Messi’s record from first four years at Barcelona | OneFootball

The comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are perhaps rather unfounded and do not make sense at this stage of the former’s career.

However, judging by the sheer impact the player has had at Barcelona, it is perhaps unfair to completely overlook the Spanish international.

At 18, Yamal is already one of the best players in the world and is having the kind of impact associated with some of the finest players in the universe.

Yamal beats Messi’s record in first four seasons

As recently pointed out by MARCA, Yamal has already been far more impactful than Messi in his first four seasons, as far as sheer productivity is concerned.

Following a historic hat-trick against Villarreal, which was the first of his professional career, Lamine Yamal has officially moved past Messi’s goal tally from his first four years at the club.

Yamal has reached 43 goals, eclipsing the 42 Messi scored between his debut in 2004 and 2007. In addition, Yamal has recorded 48 assists, more than doubling Messi’s total of 24 during that identical timeframe.

Are the Messi comparisons viable? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

It is important to note the context of these debuts. Yamal stepped onto the pitch at just 15 years old, nearly two years younger than Messi was during his first-team bow.

Furthermore, while a young Messi developed under the mentorship of Ronaldinho, Yamal was forced to shoulder the burden of the Barcelona attack almost immediately, with only Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha later easing that responsibility.

The similarities extend to the Champions League and El Clásico. Both starlets netted eight European goals in their first four years, but Yamal has proven more clinical in the knockout stages, recording three goals and two assists compared to Messi’s two goals.

In terms of silverware, Yamal’s trophy cabinet already boasts two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, and a Copa del Rey. Should he lift a trophy this season, he will move ahead of Messi’s initial trophy count.

While the road to matching Messi’s 17-year excellence remains incredibly long, Yamal’s beginning is quite promising, to say the least.