Lamine Yamal continues to redefine expectations.
The 17-year-old Barcelona star etched his name into Champions League history on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player ever to score and assist in the competition as Barcelona defeated Benfica to secure a quarter-final spot.
His assist was a moment of brilliance—driving toward the visitors’ box before threading a perfectly weighted pass to Raphinha, who volleyed home.
Minutes later, Yamal produced a stunning goal of his own, curling a strike from the edge of the box beyond the goalkeeper into the far corner.
“His goal was spectacular,” Raphinha said. “It shows what Lamine is—he’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality.”
Barcelona’s 3-1 victory on the night sealed a 4-1 aggregate win, setting up a quarter-final clash with either Borussia Dortmund or Lille. Manager Hansi Flick praised Yamal’s impact.
“Lamine hadn’t scored for over a month, so he’s happy because it was a very important goal for us,” Flick said. “We are all happy for him—he is a great kid and a fantastic player.”
Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves compared Yamal’s rise to that of Wayne Rooney, who made his mark as a teenager at Everton.
“I’ve never seen a 17-year-old this consistent,” Hargreaves said. “Rooney was out of this world, but this kid is unbelievable. He scores, creates, and makes it look incredibly easy—the best 17-year-old I’ve seen.”
Yamal has already played 50 games for Barcelona last season and has made 36 appearances this term. However, former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman cautioned against overuse.
“You have to be careful because we saw it with Pedri, Ansu Fati, and Gavi, who suffered injuries at a young age,” McManaman said.
“Barcelona know how to develop young players, but avoiding injuries is key. He’s too good to be missing from the football field.”