Barcelona’s young prince Lamine Yamal won his second La Liga title last night. The youngster has 41-goal contributions for Barca in the Spanish league this season and he’s just 17. An interesting debate comes to mind: Is Yamal’s La Liga legacy already on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo? Of course, the kid is miles behind Ronaldo in most aspects but remember he’s just seventeen. Even the dawn of his career has not begun, it’s only the early glimpses.
Yamal’s 17-Year-Old Legacy Already Challenges Ronaldo’s La Liga Impact
While some readers might think it’s too early to compare Yamal to Ronaldo, let me clarify things. Yamal’s two La Liga titles have come at a time when the odds of Barcelona winning La Liga were lower than 15%. Even this season, Arch rivals Real Madrid were favorites to win the Spanish league by odds of more than 80%. Yet Yamal’s brilliance eclipsed even the elite Real Madrid attacking trio in all four el clasicos this season.
Cristiano’s entire La Liga haul was over nine seasons, and it was the Galactico era. The initial phase was Guardiola’s supremacy, no doubt, but in Ronaldo’s last 4, or 5 years Real Madrid ruled the footballing fraternity. Yet still, the Portuguese could claim only 2 La Ligas in a legendary Real Madrid era. Yamal’s second La Liga is surely not his last, and this screams of a new footballing phenom entering the footballing kingdom.
The Teenage Engine Behind Barcelona’s Domestic Treble Triumph
Barcelona has successfully completed a domestic treble this season, and of course there are many heroes for this achievement. Pedri was genuinely a wizard this season, and Raphinha was a player revived from the ashes. Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde were also next level. We all also loved how Ferran Torres made his mark in the Barca jersey finally.
But the real game changer for Barca was the ‘Lamine Machine’. In matches when everyone was down and out, Lamine performed at the highest footballing level. He was decisive and a point of difference for Barca. He scored 8 goals, but all of them were clutch. Yamal also created the most goals in Europe’s top 5 leagues. For a club in transition, Yamal proved to be a savior at only 17 years of age.
Yamal’s 41 G/A Season Rewrote La Liga History
The viral 2007 photo of Messi holding baby Yamal definitely proved legendary. Yamal, at 17, can already be declared as the number 10 jersey successor. The La Masia star’s 41 G/A dwarfs every teenager’s comparison in Laliga history with him, inlcuding Leo Messi and Raul.
The curler last night against Espanyol to win La Liga was literally a carbon copy of Messi’s signature move. The kid had ice in veins, music in head and winning in DNA throughout the season for Barca. What a talent Barca has got their hands on!