04/05/2025
Lamine Yamal â The 17-Year-Old Prodigy
At just 17, Lamine Yamal has already played 100 matches wearing the iconic Barcelona jersey.
100 matches, 22 goals, 32 assists.
Once upon a time, players of this age only dreamed of making it to the senior squad from the academy.
But Lamine? He's already living that dream.
Naturally, comparisons ariseâ
Messi. Ronaldo.
But letâs take a step back.
At 17, Lionel Messi had played only 9 matches and scored just 1 goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, playing for Sporting Lisbon at the time, had 5 goals and 4 assists in 19 matches.
So, does that mean Lamine is destined to surpass them?
Thatâs where we often get it wrong.
Because greatnessâtrue greatnessâisnât defined by how you start.
For Messi and Ronaldo, the beginning was just a trailer.
The real story began when they stepped onto the pitch season after season with an obsession to win.
More goals than matches, 15 years of elite performance,
Bouncing back from injuries, becoming even more dangerous after turning 30â
These are the traits that shaped legends.
Messiâs greatest triumphâthe World Cupâcame at 35.
He won the Ballon d'Or at 36.
Ronaldo scored more goals after 30 than before.
Their careers were epic sagas.
And Lamine?
Right now, he's just in the prologue.
The performance so far is brilliant, the talentâundeniable.
But ahead lies a long road, tough challenges, the ultimate test of time.
Will he endure? Can he carry the weight of consistency and longevity?
Time will tell.
All we can do is hopeâthat one day, this spectacular start at 17 becomes the first chapter in a story of true greatness.