By Martin Graham
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal delivered a display for the ages during a Champions League semi-final first-leg clash with Inter Milan that ended in an unforgettable 3-3 draw. The 17-year-old forward, making his 100th competitive appearance for the club, scored his 22nd goal in a performance hailed as one of the finest ever seen from a player his age.
Inter took control early on, with Marcus Thuram scoring within the opening minute via a deft flick from a Denzel Dumfries cross. Dumfries himself then added a second with a powerful volley, putting the Italian side up 2-0 after only 21 minutes. But the match swung when Yamal, who had shown discomfort during warm-up and was under tight defensive attention, suddenly exploded into action.
The teenager sliced through Inter’s backline and curled the ball inside the far post for a spectacular finish. He soon followed up with another dazzling solo effort that struck the crossbar after a deflection from Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Ferran Torres then finished off a flowing move to equalize before halftime. Dumfries restored Inter’s lead with a header, only for Barcelona to respond once more through a deflected strike from Raphinha, which bounced off the bar and went in off Sommer.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had scored the winner for Inter, but his effort was ruled offside. In the dying moments, Yamal almost produced another moment of brilliance, with a looping effort that clipped both post and crossbar. Dumfries, who had a hand in all three Inter goals, was named man of the match.
Yamal continues to break new ground. He is the youngest player to reach 100 appearances for Barcelona and has already notched 27 assists for the club, including two in the recent Copa del Rey final victory over Real Madrid. For Spain, he has scored four times in 19 games and was part of the Euro 2024-winning squad shortly after his 17th birthday.
Compared to football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age, Yamal’s output is remarkable. While Messi had scored only once in nine appearances and Ronaldo had five goals from 19 matches before turning 18, Yamal has already proven himself on the biggest stages, including knockout rounds in the Champions League and international competitions.
Despite the statistical parallels and shared background at La Masia, Yamal distances himself from comparisons with Messi. “I don’t compare myself to anyone, especially not Messi,” he said before the Inter clash. The young winger, however, shares more than a playing style with the Argentine great. A photograph from 2007 shows a young Messi cradling baby Yamal during a UNICEF charity shoot at the Camp Nou, adding a unique twist to their linked histories.
Pundits and coaches alike were unanimous in their praise. Inter boss Simone Inzaghi called him “a once-in-50-years talent,” while Barcelona coach Hansi Flick labelled him “a genius.” Former players like Ally McCoist and Stephen Warnock joined in, with Warnock calling him “a future Ballon d’Or winner.” Rio Ferdinand noted the atmosphere in Yamal’s hometown of Mataro: “There’s a superstar there now.”
As attention turns to the return leg at the San Siro, Yamal has already done more than enough to secure his place in the spotlight – not as the next Messi, but as a singular force making his own mark on the footballing world.
