Lamine Yamal leads youngster statistics – even better than Messi and Ronaldo

The world of football has seen a stark change in recent years in terms of the demographics of players participating at the highest level.

In a matter of years, it has become a normality to see teenagers shine at the highest level, something that was not a constant feature of elite football even a decade ago.

Amidst the growing trend, Barcelona find themselves to be one of the biggest trendsetters as they lead the way in providing young talents a stage to showcase their skill.

Lamine Yamal, in particular, has blown players, fans and pundits away alike.

Unreal numbers

As revealed in a recent report by Football Benchmark, Yamal has played 4,184 minutes at the age of just 17 years and two months for Barcelona and Spain and is by far the player with the most senior minutes of any Golden Boy winner at the same age.

Last year’s winner, Jude Bellingham, notably only played 2944 when he was Yamal’s age.

In fact, legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Xavi, Sergio Ramos – none of them even opened their account of senior minutes at the age Yamal is commanding Europe.

— Football Benchmark (@Football_BM) September 19, 2024

The Barcelona star, at the same age, is not just a starter but the biggest difference maker for both Spain and the Catalan club and is already a European Championship winner.

Yamal’s exploits over the past year have him placed as the firm favourite to take home not only the Golden Boy award but also the Kopa Trophy.

Many even expect him to have a top-10 finish in the Ballon d’Or race, something unthinkable for a 17-year-old.

While indeed it is Barcelona’s fortune to have a player as reliable as the young winger, managing his minutes is very crucial, especially given the long calendar ahead.

Pedri, Gavi and most recently Fermin Lopez’s injuries are examples of why his participation must be closely monitored.