Rising Stars Lamine Yamal and Estevao Battle for the Crown: Which Wonderkid Will Inherit Messi and Ronaldo's Legacy?

Two of soccer's most brilliant young talents faced off in the opening round of Champions League matches when Barcelona met Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in November.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Chelsea's Estêvão captured attention before and after the encounter, with the Brazilian taking center stage during a commanding 3–0 triumph for the Blues. A spectacular goal allowed him to outshine his positional counterpart during the Brazil winger's 100th club match.

Enzo Maresca praised both Yamal and Estêvão after the final whistle, declaring they possess the potential to rule world soccer similarly to how Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have in recent decades.

"Likely over the next 10, 15 years, Estêvão and Lamine Yamal will probably become the next Messi and Ronaldo," declared the Italian coach.

But how do these two stack up against each other at 18 years old? And how do they measure against Messi and Ronaldo?

How Do Lamine Yamal and Estêvão Stack Up?

To ensure a fair comparison between Yamal and Estêvão, we're examining their initial hundred matches for their clubs—excluding international team appearances. Estêvão achieved this benchmark against Barcelona, while his Spanish counterpart reached the milestone on April 30 earlier this year.

83 of Estêvão's matches occurred during his time at Palmeiras, with the remaining 17 coming since his transfer to Chelsea at the season's start. Yamal, however, has faced stronger competition throughout his emerging career, with all 100 appearances coming for Barcelona. This factor should be weighed when evaluating their performance—though Estêvão has already displayed his brilliance in west London.

Throughout his club century, Estêvão has netted an outstanding 32 goals, though only five have come in Chelsea colors. Averaging roughly one goal every three matches represents a highly promising record for such a young talent, particularly given his wide position rather than central role.

Yamal recorded a more conservative total of 22—approximately one goal every five games—but excels as a playmaker. He delivered 27 assists in his first 100 matches, nine more than Estêvão, consistently setting up players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.

Yamal also leads in trophy collection. He secured three titles before his 100th appearance—the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España and La Liga—though the league championship he won in 2022–23 barely counts given his single appearance. However, since he captured the 2024–25 La Liga title just weeks after his club century, we'll give him credit.

While we're excluding national team matches and statistics, Yamal's Euro 2024 victory with Spain deserves mention.

Estêvão, in contrast, has claimed just two trophies, winning the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2023 and Campeonato Paulista the following year.

How Do They Measure Against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Yamal and Estêvão both have considerable ground to cover to match Messi's early career achievements. The eight-time Ballon d'Or champion, whose first 100 matches were also for Barcelona, scored an incredible 41 goals and recorded 14 assists, while collecting five club honors. His trophy collection included La Liga and the Champions League.

Messi did require slightly more time to reach his century than either Yamal or Estêvão, not achieving the milestone until his mid-20s. Ronaldo was just days before his 20th birthday when he accomplished the feat, and while his numbers weren't quite as spectacular as Messi's, his potential still secured him a major transfer to Manchester United.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner reached 100 club matches while at the Red Devils, but his record of 13 goals and equal assists falls short compared to Messi, Yamal and Estêvão. Nevertheless, the latter two will aspire to match the Portuguese star's career-long achievements.

Lamine Yamal, Estêvão, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo After 100 Club Matches