Barcelona’s 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal has achieved a remarkable milestone, scoring his first century of first-team appearances and becoming the youngest player to reach this mark in the UEFA Champions League. The Spain international scored Barça’s first goal in their thrilling 3-3 draw with Internazionale in the first leg of their semifinal.
Yamal’s impressive performance has led to comparisons with some of football’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite being relatively slow to break into the starting lineup, Yamal has quickly established himself as a key player for Barça, scoring 22 goals and providing 27 assists in just two seasons.
The young forward’s rapid progress is reminiscent of other phenoms-turned-superstars, such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Mbappé broke through at AS Monaco at the age of 16 and scored his first century of appearances at 18, while Haaland marked his 100th career appearance with a double against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Lamine Yamal’s achievement is all the more impressive given that he has already won a European Championship with Spain and a league title with Barcelona. With 15 goals and 20 assists in 49 games, he is enjoying his most productive campaign to date, helping Barça remain on course for a treble.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/44947002/yamals-first-100-games-compared-messi-ronaldo-mbappe