Even the legendary Lionel Messi had to wait until he was nearly 21 years old to reach 100 appearances for Barcelona.
At just 17 years and 291 days old, Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal etched his name into history as the youngest player to reach 100 competitive appearances for the club. The milestone came on the grandest of stages – a UEFA Champions League semifinal clash against Inter Milan. Rising to the occasion, the teenage prodigy delivered a stunning goal and struck the woodwork twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw. His exceptional performance underlined his reputation as one of football’s brightest young stars.
Yamal reached the milestone just days after helping Barcelona clinch their 32nd Copa del Rey title in a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Real Madrid. The youngster played a pivotal role in the final as well, delivering two crucial assists and once again proving his ability to shine on the biggest stage.
Even the legendary Lionel Messi had to wait until he was nearly 21 to reach 100 appearances for Barcelona – a milestone Lamine Yamal has already achieved at just 17. As Yamal continues to make history, how does his remarkable early rise compare to Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe at the 100-game mark?
Yamal’s consistency and maturity have made him a key figure in Hansi Flick’s side as the youngster has earned over 6,850 minutes of game time across two seasons. Even legendary figures like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar did not hit this century of appearances until they were closer to 19 or 20, underlining how rare and extraordinary Yamal’s development has been.
| Player | Age on 100th Appearance | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists | Club Trophies |
| Lamine Yamal | 17y, 292d | 6859 | 22 | 27 | 3 |
| Lionel Messi | 20y, 248d | 6747 | 41 | 14 | 5 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 19y, 348d | 5785 | 13 | 13 | 2 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 19y, 119d | 6410 | 48 | 29 | 3 |
| Erling Haaland | 19y, 212d | 5948 | 60 | 15 | 2 |
| Neymar | 18y, 251d | 6944 | 48 | 27 | 2 |
Yamal has contributed directly to 49 goals – 22 scored and 27 assisted at the 100-game mark. In contrast, Messi had 41 goals and 14 assists, while CR7 had 13 goals and 13 assists. Yamal’s creative influence and ability to impact matches so early in his career position him as a generational playmaker.
Despite his age, Yamal already has three club trophies to his name. Only Messi had more at this stage. Not only that, Yamal made the critical contribution as Barcelona clinched their 32nd Copa del Rey title just last week. Yamal is not only winning trophies, he is making his presence felt in Champions League knockout games and finals.
Recently, Lamine Yamal was crowned the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards. With the season still underway, Yamal could yet cap it all off by helping Barcelona secure La Liga and the Champions League.
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