The 17-Year-Old Star is Currently the Best Player in Europe, So There's No Need For the "Youngest" Label Anymore

Lamine Yamal is performing fantastically for Barcelona.

The new club season was expected to answer several questions about Lamine Yamal: did a new star emerge at EURO 2024, or was it just another fleeting meteor?

After the first month, some conclusions can definitely be drawn. Before the tournament in Germany, the Barcelona academy product had tallied 8 goals and 7 assists in 53 matches. Since the start of the European Championship, he's already scored 4 goals and made 9 assists in 14 games.

Lamine was named the best young player in La Liga in August and was nominated for the Ballon d'Or – becoming the youngest nominee for the award in history. But let's be honest: it's time to drop the "prodigy" label. Right now, the Spanish winger is the best footballer in Europe, at least in terms of attacking.

This isn't just based on superficial stats. However, they are impressive: only Erling Haaland has recorded more than seven goal contributions across the top five leagues. And keep in mind Yamal isn't taking penalties. No, his impact on Barcelona's game is what really stands out.

Yamal leads the Catalans in successful dribbles, key passes, and even blocks and ball recoveries. This is partly due to Hansi Flick's game model, but who would have thought three months ago that this fragile teenager would turn into a pressing machine? Incidentally, Lamine has also bulked up physically, gaining eight kilograms in the gym since the start of the summer.

Before the match against Serbia in the Nations League, he had an eight-game streak with either a goal or an assist. It was briefly interrupted, but in the second game against Switzerland, Yamal provided an assist, surpassing Vinícius in goal contributions for the national team. Lamine has 11, while the 24-year-old Brazilian has 10.

Interestingly, in Ronaldo's interview on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, when asked about future Ballon d'Or contenders, he didn't even mention Vinícius. But he immediately named Yamal, saying he's the natural next-gen talent, without any need for disclaimers.

Indeed, Yamal passed his school exams last summer. The future has arrived.

Published by Patrick Jane
16.09.2024