FC Barcelona can continue to count on their promising youngsters to make a difference. Being blessed with arguably the most prestigious youth academy in the world comes with its benefits, and Barça have often reaped the rewards. However, there is one particular Barcelona academy product that has made huge waves across Europe.
Lamine Yamal, aged 16, is seen as the crown jewel that has recently come out from the Barcelona academy. His ceiling is seen as being exceptionally high and the player has already showcased the unnatural qualities that he possesses. Beyond being just a raw talent, however, he is also a record breaker.
Thus far, the young Spanish winger has already become the 2nd youngest debutant in UEFA Champions League history. Moreover, he is also the youngest player in the same competition to start an official match. However, when it comes to Europe’s Premiere competition, there is one more major record he can still overtake.
According to AS, the main record that Yamal should now aspire for is the title of becoming the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history. Rather poetically, the record is currently held by another Barcelona academy product, Ansu Fati.
Fati managed to break that record against Inter Milan at the San Siro. At that time, the forward was aged 16 years and 304 days old. For Yamal, that record will be an achievable possibility for almost a year given that he still has that much time. However, there is sort of a time bomb ticking away.
Against Royal Antwerp, there is a big chance that Yamal gets a good opportunity to shine. However, if he fails to score against the Belgian side, things will become complicated. The youngster would then have to ensure that he scores in the knockout stages, which becomes difficult.
Moreover, if he fails to score in this ongoing campaign, he will miss the train entirely. By the time next season’s Champions League campaign kicks off, Yamal will already have exceeded the age by which Fati scored his first goal in the competition.
As such, this encounter in Belgium could be a massive one for young Lamine Yamal. Already a record breaker for the youngest goalscorer in La Liga and for the Spanish National team, the young Barcelona starlet will definitely want to make the Champions League record his own as well.
