2 weeks Ago By Jake Lambourne
Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal continues to dazzle after scoring his first Champions League goal in the 2-1 defeat to Barcelona. At 17 years and 68 days, the Spanish winger is the second youngest scorer in the history of the competition. Yamal , who won Euro 2024 this summer, did so quicker than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham was 17 years and 289 days old when he grabbed his first strike in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in 2021. Meanwhile Messi was 18 when he struck for Barca in 2005 against Greek outfit Panathinaikos. And Ronaldo - the Champions League's all time top scorer with 140 goals - had to wait until he was 22 after firing in for Manchester United against Roma in 2007.
Only Yamal's Blaugrana teammate Ansu Fat i was younger than he was in scoring their first European Cup goal. Fati, who spent last season on loan at Brighton, was 28 days younger than Yamal when he scored against Inter Milan in 2019. But while Yamal came close in breaking one Champions League record, he did set a new one on Thursday night at Stade Louis II.
The La Masia graduate has become the youngest player in making the most appearances in the competition aged 17 or under. Yamal boasts 11 Champions League outings to his name following his breakthrough 2023/24 campaign. The previous record stood at ten games, which was jointly held by Bellingham, Youri Tielemans and Warren Zaire-Emery.
Yamal has enjoyed a stunning start to the season, where he boasts four goals and as many assists in six matches in all competitions. With seven goal contributions in LaLiga so far, only Manchester City marksman Erling Haaland has more to his name in Europe's top five leagues. And five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has tipped the youngster to become the world's best player.
Erling Haaland, Man City (9 goals, 0 assists) Lamine Yamal, Barcelona (3 goals, 4 assists) Harry Kane, Bayern Munich (4 goals, 2 assists) Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona (4 goals, 2 assists) Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (3 goals, 3 assists) Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the ex-United defender's YouTube channel , Ronaldo said of Yamal: "He's got a huge potential. "I see a lot of talent. But let's see during his journey what's going to happen.
"But I think he'll make it. He will be the best player of this new generation.".
