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In Argentina, there is a legend of a player weaving past defenders to score a breathtaking goal before casually brushing away their footprints in the dirt as they stroll back to their own half, leaving no trace of their genius. It seems Lamine Yamal has somehow discovered Lionel Messi's path.
Barcelona's overlooked Ballon d'Or candidate brushed aside the letdown of London's awards night to put on yet another stunning display. Yamal netted twice and assisted Fermín López in Saturday's 6–1 demolition of Alavés, bringing his personal total to 12 goals and 11 assists across just 14 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season.
The last time any player reached double figures for both goals and assists before October for a Spanish club was none other than Messi back in 2011 — the beginning of the most extraordinary goal-scoring season of the Argentine legend's illustrious career.
By the conclusion of the 2011–12 campaign, Messi had accumulated a truly staggering 73 goals and 30 assists across all competitions for Barcelona.
How Lamine Yamal Compares to Lionel Messi's Annus Mirabilis
Record After 14 Games | Lamine Yamal | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
Season | 2026–27 | 2011–12 |
Minutes | 1,171 | 1,198 |
Goals | 12 | 15 |
Assists | 11 | 11 |
Minute per Goal or Assist | 50.9 | 46.1 |
Yamal is not quite on track to eclipse that annus mirabilis of a campaign, yet the mere fact that the 19-year-old is even in the same conversation speaks volumes about his remarkable output so far. That said, Messi's brilliance was undermined by those around him. The record-breaking No. 10 scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of matches alone that season (19) than any of his Barça teammates managed across entire games (Cesc Fàbregas was the squad's second-highest scorer with 15 goals).
As virtually the only source of goals, Messi watched Barcelona fall short in both La Liga and the Champions League. Yamal, on the other hand, is backed by an equally prolific supporting cast.
Raphinha Putting Up Numbers Not Seen Since Cristiano Ronaldo
It's us again. pic.twitter.com/26fMfo5NlT
Yamal may be experiencing the finest stretch of his career, but he is not even Barcelona's leading scorer this season. That honor goes to Raphinha, who struck his 14th and 15th La Liga goals of the campaign against Alavés.
No player in Spain's top division has reached 15 league goals after just 11 matches since Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable 2014–15 season. The Real Madrid icon had plundered 18 goals by the 11th round of fixtures and would finish that campaign with an extraordinary 48 in the league alone.
Across the past 75 La Liga seasons, Raphinha is one of only three players to have enjoyed such a blistering start to a campaign. Messi joins Ronaldo as the only other players to have matched the Brazilian's feat.
The Best Scoring Starts to a La Liga Season in the Last 75 Years
Stats via Mister Chip, record across first 11 matchdays of a new La Liga season.
Yamal finished a frustrating third in the recently presented Ballon d'Or, while Raphinha did not even receive a nomination. In contrast, both Messi and Ronaldo's extraordinary brilliance was duly rewarded with football's most coveted individual honor.
Should the Barcelona duo continue producing numbers comparable to the sport's modern-day icons, they may have far less reason for disappointment at next year's ceremony.