Lamine Yamal draws close to Mbappé’s Champions League record

Lamine Yamal, 19 years old, has accumulated 12 goals in the Champions League, while Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid forward, scored 13 before turning 20. The comparison shows two early‑career trajectories that intersect in the premier European competition.

Early records of Lamine Yamal

The Barça number 10 has 12 goals and 11 assists in 34 Champions matches, including a free‑kick goal against Feyenoord that he celebrated with Raphinha, who gave him a wristband when he was substituted. According to journalist Pep Morata and contributor Laura Aparicio, these numbers leave him one goal away from matching Mbappé's tally.

Yamal made his debut at 16 against Anderlecht under the direction of Xavi Hernández. In the 2023‑2024 season he became the youngest player to start in the Champions League, against Porto, although he had to leave the match due to illness.

Comparison with Kylian Mbappé

During the first leg of the round of 16 against Benfica in the 2024‑2025 season, Yamal became the youngest player to score and assist in the same match, under the management of Hansi Flick. In April 2025, he broke records again by becoming the youngest footballer to score in a Champions League semi‑final, against Inter Milan.

Mbappé, for his part, had reached 10 goals before turning 19 and hit 13 before turning 20, figures that for years served as a benchmark to gauge the explosiveness of a striker of his generation.

With 12 goals, Yamal is a shot away from matching Mbappé's 13. The closeness of the record suggests that the young Spanish player could surpass the Frenchman in upcoming matches.

Next Tuesday, Barça will face Galatasaray in the group stage, a fixture that could allow Yamal to close the gap and perhaps set a new standard of youth in the Champions League.