2024, what a year for Lamine Yamal

Year three for Lamine Yamal as an FC Barcelona first team player. Year three of Lamine Yamal setting records and putting in memorable performances. The La Masia player has continued his tremendous trajectory throughout 2024 with his now customary verve and magical ball manipulation.

There's no doubt that 2024 bore witness to a consistently high level of performance from this 17-year-old young man. His age has proved no barrier to him becoming a key part of FC Barcelona's play and he is already a firm favourite among blaugrana fans. Young and old wearing the FC Barcelona jersey with 19 and Lamine Yamal on the back has become commonplace.

In order to understand the impact of a player who celebrates his goals by making a 3 – 0 – 4 sign with his fingers, it's time to take stock of what he got up to in 2024, as it's been some year for Lamine Yamal. Here's a look back at all the records he's broken this year, making it easier to reflect on the magnitude of the feats of a 17-year-old who has made history ever since his debut for FC Barcelona.

Youngest debutant...

If Lamine Yamal's numbers were out of this world in 2023, there was no reason to suggest that 2024 wasn't going to start in the same manner. The Catalan began by breaking two more records in the Spanish Super Cup. Aged just 16 years and 182 days, he became the youngest ever to feature in the tournament.

... and youngest scorer in the Spanish Super Cup

There was more to come from him in that semi-final match against Osasuna, as he scored the second goal in the closing stages of the game. It seemed like a walk in the park, and just 11 days into 2024, he broke yet another record to become the youngest ever player to score in the Spanish Super Cup.

Youngest scorer this century in the Copa del Rey

Another tournament early in 2024 saw Lamine Yamal again enter the record books. On 24 January in the Copa del Rey at the San Mamés stadium, and aged 16 years and 195 days, he became the youngest scorer in the knockout competition in the 21st century.

Youngest to score a brace in LaLiga…

Another month ticked off on the calendar, but the forward continued to shine, as Lamine Yamal scored twice in a domestic league match for the first time on 12 February against Granada at the Estadi Olímpic. At 16 years and 213 days old, he became the youngest to score brace in LaLiga.

… and the first under-17 player to score three or more goals in the domestic competition

Those two goals took his tally to three in LaLiga, another record that no other under-17 player had achieved in the competition. The records kept tumbling for ever-smiling young man during 2024. He would actually stretch that record even more by the end of the 2023/24 LaLiga season. His goal in the matchday 35 fixture against Real Sociedad on 13 May brought his total to five for the season and extended the record for most goals scored by an under-17 player in LaLiga.

Youngest player to feature in a Champions League knockout match

Yet another youngest player record was set on 21 February and at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona no less. His start against Napoli meant he became the youngest player ever to appear in a knockout match in Europe's premier club competition. He was 16 years and 223 days old at the time.

Joins Cubarsí in first UCL line-up featuring two under-18 players

We are now in March and it was the return leg against Napoli on 12 March, which also proved a memorable day for Pau Cubarsí. The two La Masia starlets walked out onto the pitch at the stadium on Montjuïc as part of the Barça starting line-up, the first time ever a Champions League knockout game kicked off featuring two players aged under 18.

Youngest Champions League quarter-finalist

Another month in 2024 meant another record for Lamine Yamal, this time in the Champions League again. The blaugrana winger being named in the starting eleven by Xavi for the quarterfinal between PSG and FC Barcelona on 10 April made him the youngest player ever to feature at the tournament's quarter-final stage.

Youngest player to reach 10 Champions League appearances

The return leg against the Parisians on 16 April meant he became the youngest ever to play 10 Champions League games, aged 16 years and 278 days at the time. He had just broken a record that had stood for more than 10 years.

Youngest player to make 50 competitive appearances for Barça

There was still time for another record to be broken while wearing the blaugrana jersey before the 2023/24 season came to a close, as Lamine Yamal made his 50th appearance for the Club against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadi Olimpic on 19 May. He was 16 years, 10 months, and 6 days old.

Youngest ever to feature in the European Championships

League season over, but more records to come in 2024 after he was named in Luis de la Fuente's squad to play for Spain at Euro 2024 on 27 May. Lamine Yamal had a plethora of youngest player records to break while at the tournament in Germany and he did just that. The first tumbled when he became the youngest player ever to take part in the tournament aged 16 years and 339 days, even starting the match that 15 June.

Youngest to provide an assist in the Euros

Clearly not content with setting that first milestone, he conjured up an assist in that game against Croatia for Spain's third goal, part of a magical performance of wing wizardry, while becoming the youngest ever to provide an assist in the tournament.

Youngest player to feature in a European Championship knockout game

June was proving to be a very fruitful month in his record-breaking year of 2024, and on 30 June, still only 16 years and 354 days old, his appearance against Georgia in the last 16 made him the youngest ever to feature in the tournament's knockout rounds.

Youngest ever goalscorer in the European Championships

Into a new month and more markers put down by the La Masia player. It was 9 July, the opponents were France, now at the semi-final stage, and he scored a goal that left many lost for words. Aged 16 years and 362 days, his goal against France made him the youngest ever to score in a European Championship, and what a goal it was, his curling shot from the edge of area will live long in the collective memory of football fans.

Youngest player to feature in a European Championship final

Another game, another date in 2024, and two more records this time. In no less than a European Championship final against England on 14 July, Lamine Yamal became the youngest ever to play in a European Championship final, before going on to provide the assist for Nico Williams to make it 1-0 to Spain.

Youngest to win a major international trophy

Spain went on to win and Lamine Yamal received the individual award for best young player of the tournament after the match. All that was left for him and the Spanish side to raise the trophy aloft, which in turn meant he set the record for youngest player to ever win an international trophy of the calibre of a European Championship or a World Cup. Incredibly only 17 years and 1 day old at the time, it meant he broke the record held by football great Pelé.

Youngest to score in an El Clásico

Now into a new season, Lamine Yamal was still setting records in 2024, and not just in any old match, but an El Clásico. It was 26 October and the blaugrana number 19 scored at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. That strike during a wonderful 0-3 win saw him become the youngest player ever to score in this hallowed fixture.

Lamine Yamal has undoubtedly left his mark again this year. He has tumbled youngest player record after youngest player record in 2024 while cementing his place in the FC Barcelona squad. Let's be honest, just about any positive adjective you could come up with would fall short when attempting to describe what he has achieved.