Barcelona’s teenage star closes 2025 with extraordinary dribbling statistics, drawing comparisons with a legendary benchmark.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has closed 2025 as one of the most remarkable young players in world football, producing statistics that place him among the elite. At just 18 years of age, he has become a key figure in Hansi Flick’s Barcelona squad, combining goals, assists and creativity with a dribbling record that has stunned Europe.
Over the past twelve months, Yamal completed 285 successful dribbles, the highest total across Europe’s top five leagues. His figure is almost double that of Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku, who managed 155, while Paris Saint‑Germain’s Kylian Mbappé followed with 144. The Catalan winger’s ability to beat defenders consistently has made him unpredictable and a constant threat to opposing backlines.
The achievement has inevitably drawn comparisons with Lionel Messi. In 2015, Messi recorded 297 successful dribbles, the highest in Barcelona’s history. Yamal’s tally, just 12 fewer, places him second all‑time for the club. For a player still in his teens, coming so close to Messi’s benchmark highlights his extraordinary rise and consistency.
His dominance has been particularly visible in LaLiga. Between August and December, he led the league with 69 successful dribbles, far ahead of Mbappé’s 47 and Nico Williams and Vinícius Júnior’s 37 each. His season total stands at 98 dribbles, divided across 69 in LaLiga, 21 in the Champions League and 8 in the Copa del Rey. This came despite missing six matches in September and October due to pubalgia.
The teenager’s contributions have gone beyond dribbling. Goals, assists and attacking imbalance have made him indispensable for Barcelona. His one‑on‑one ability has become a hallmark of his game, and his performances ensured no rival came close to his numbers in 2025. For supporters, his rise has been a source of excitement and reassurance during a demanding season.
Barcelona’s calendar in early 2026 is intense. The team faces Espanyol at RCDE Stadium on January 3 in LaLiga before competing in the Spanish Super Cup. Yamal is expected to be one of the main protagonists in these fixtures, continuing the form that has defined his breakthrough year.