Lamine Yamal vs. Lionel Messi: Who had the better numbers in their first 100 games for Barcelona?

The meme of the Spidermen pointing at each other could very well be Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal .

Comparisons between the Rosario native and the Catalan, who played his 100th game for Barcelona against Inter are not limited to journalists and fans . Players and coaches are also drawn to the dazzling current form of the 17-year-old left-footer, who is so reminiscent of the emergence of the 'Pulga' in 2004.

"Yamal is a phenomenon that only happens once every 50 years. I haven't seen something like this for a long time. He created enormous problems for us; we had to double his coverage, and when that wasn't enough, we brought in a third player," Inter manager Simone Inzaghi lavished praise on the Esplugues de Llobregat native.

Inzaghi's words brought back memories of another Italian coach who was smitten by a young Messi. The sequence occurred on August 25, 2005, at the Joan Gamper Trophy between Barcelona and Juventus. Leo, barely 18 years old, was a star that night, so much so that Fabio Capello , the Vecchia Signora's manager, approached Dutchman Frank Rijkaard at halftime to ask for the Argentine on loan. "It's been a long time since I've seen a player with such quality at his age. Well! With personality, speed. I love him. I'd already watched him with the Argentine youth team and I thought he was a great player, but it's another thing to see him in this stadium, in this shirt, in front of so many people," Capello said.

Lamine Yamal had his breakthrough night on Wednesday against Inter in the Champions League semifinals: he danced around left-back Federico Dimarco, who had to be substituted shortly after the second half began. The flashback to Messi and his crowning performance in Europe's best tournament was immediate . The "Flea" shone in a round of 16 match against Chelsea in London (on February 22, 2006), and defender Asier Del Horno couldn't stop him even with a thousand kicks.

The difference between the two is minimal when analyzing their first 100 matches in Barcelona . The data confirms what is perceived on the pitch: they are very similar. The greatest disparity is in goals scored by the Rosario native (41 to 22) and assists for the Spaniard (33 to 15). In any case, one was directly involved in 56 goals and the other in 55.

Yamal's precociousness in reaching the hundred-match mark (17 years, 9 months, and 17 days) is due to the club's current situation. Due to poor results and financial constraints, the club wasted no time in putting together a team centered around him, while Leo gradually earned a place in a roster packed with stars, including Ronaldinho, Giuly, Larsson, and Eto'o. That's why he completed his 100th match at 20 years, 8 months, and 4 days. More precisely, it took Yamal 2 years and 1 day to reach the triple digit mark, while La Pulga took 3 years, 4 months, and 11 days.

The number of starts is similar: 77 (completing 44) for La Pulga and 76 (finishing 36) for Lamine. The winning record in their first 100 games is in favor of the current Barça: 77 (14 draws and 15 losses) versus 67 (19 draws and 14 losses). Yamal and Messi's percentage of points? 81.6 and 73.3, respectively .

They're also tied in terms of titles won . In his first 100 games, Leo won two domestic league titles (2004/2005 and 2005/2006), the 2006 Spanish Super Cup, and the 2005/2006 Champions League. The Flea didn't even make the bench in the Orejona final against Arsenal in Paris. "I didn't go looking for the medal because I was angry about not even being a substitute. I was disappointed, but I regret not going out to get the medal. I didn't realize what was happening. Until my injury (against Chelsea in the round of 16), I played in every game," the Argentine said later.

Lamine's stars so far are three: the 2022/2023 Spanish League, the 2025 Copa del Rey, and the 2025 Spanish Super Cup. Barcelona is also the sole leader of the domestic championship (with five matches remaining) and will play the second leg against Inter in Italy on Tuesday in the Champions League semi-finals.

"It's impressive what Lamine Yamal is showing, what he's doing, and what he's already done. He's already been a European Championship champion with Spain. He's only 17, he's in the midst of growing, and he'll continue to grow as a player and contribute to his game, just like I did. He has incredible qualities and is already one of the best players in the world," Messi praised him weeks ago in an article with Simplemente Fútbol.

“I don't think about whether I have more or less than someone else. I think the key is to think about yourself, to try to do the best for the team. I don't look at statistics much. I play to enjoy myself, to make people enjoy themselves, and to win. I don't focus on whether someone else has more or less than me at a certain age. It's an honor to be compared to Messi, but I try to write my own story. Leo is the best in history; I'm still in my early stages. Those comparisons sometimes don't help,” Yamal warned.

“One day I would like to play with Lamine Yamal,” Thiago Messi announced from Miami.

Now, do Messi and Yamal play similarly, beyond their statistical similarities? Yes . Like Leo in his early days, Lamine starts as a right winger in a highly attacking 4-3-3 formation. The Rosario native was more explosive, and the Catalan is more elegant in his movements. As the numbers reflect, La Pulga has more goals and the Spaniard more assists. But for both, age has been and is a mere record, and all pitches are the same because they play the same everywhere. Something more external: they generate passion in the younger players. Charisma, they call it.

Lamine now faces the most difficult challenge: maintaining this level for 19 seasons, perhaps the most impressive achievement of all Messi's . And also weathering the thousand comparisons that will come, the same ones that began with that 2007 photo in which Leo bathed the newborn Lamine in a bathtub. Will this be the first of the postcards of the two greatest footballers in history? Only time will tell.