17-year-old forward Lamine Yamal insists that his current success with Barcelona and the Spanish national team is just the beginning.

Lionel Messi holds the record of winning 34 titles with Barcelona, including 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League trophies. However, Yamal could surpass that in the future. At just 17, the Spanish striker has already won four titles with the club: two La Liga titles, one Spanish Super Cup, and one Copa del Rey.

When asked about his senior after the 2-0 win over Espanyol that secured the La Liga title on the evening of May 15, Yamal responded:
“Messi is the greatest in history, but I want to have my own story.”

According to the Spanish forward, what he has achieved so far, including the Euro 2024 with Spain, is only the beginning. He affirmed that he will not stop hungering for victory.

Yamal celebrates a goal in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Espanyol in La Liga Round 36 on the evening of May 15. Photo: Reuters

Yamal began playing for Barcelona’s first team when former coach Xavi promoted him at the end of the 2022–2023 season. Along with the Spanish prodigy, Xavi also gave chances to Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, Pablo Torre, and Marc Casado, and brought in players like Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, and Andreas Christensen.

“We are very grateful to Xavi for giving many young players the chance to debut. Today’s success wouldn’t have come without him,” Yamal said.

For now, the young forward only wants to keep performing well and win more titles with Barcelona. He doesn’t care about numbers or external praise.
“I’m not doing this for that, but for the club. I don’t care what people say on the outside. I just focus on the matches and will continue working hard for the club,” Yamal stated.

This season, Yamal has played 53 matches, scoring 17 goals and providing 25 assists. The 17-year-old striker has become the youngest player in Spanish football history to record double digits in both goals and assists in a single season.

Along with Lewandowski and Raphinha, Yamal has been one of the top three contributors to Barcelona’s three titles in the 2024–2025 season: La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey. He also made decisive contributions in two matches against Real Madrid, one against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium, and the victory over Espanyol on May 15.

According to experts, Yamal is a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or. The 17-year-old forward will compete with teammate Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele (PSG), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).