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Lamine Yamal placed his name alongside Kylian Mbappé’s in the Champions League history books on Tuesday night after netting in Barcelona’s 4–2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
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What ultimately proved a disappointing end to Barcelona’s unbeaten start to the season still had positives on a personal level for Yamal. The 19-year-old Ballon d’Or nominee produced another superb solo strike in the second half of the Champions League showdown, putting on the after-burners to power past makeshift left back Warren Zaïre-Emery before finishing past Matvey Safonov from an improbable angle.
With his strike, Yamal became the first player from any of Europe’s top five leagues to register at least 10 goals and 10 assists in 2026–27. As a result, he has been involved in 40% of Barça’s 50 goals so far this season.
Prior to the PSG game, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick declared his red-hot winger “the best player in the world right now.”
Yamal Draws Level With Mbappé
Lamine Yamal with another sensational finish pic.twitter.com/tpSGLfVhqO
– CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 20, 2026
Yamal’s goal in Paris on Tuesday was his 13th in the Champions League, drawing him level with Kylian Mbappé for the most in the competition as a teenager.
Mbappé-one of Yamal’s strongest competitors for the Ballon d’Or later this month-scored 13 times in 23 appearances for Monaco and PSG. Yamal, by contrast, achieved his total in 36 outings.
However, as he does not celebrate his 20th birthday until next July, he will surely become the outright leader very soon.
Looking further ahead, the Barcelona superstar needs eight goals to become the highest scorer before 21-a record currently held by Erling Haaland.
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Players With the Most Champions League Goals Before Turning 20
| Player | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | 13 | 23 |
| Lamine Yamal | 13 | 36 |
| Erling Haaland | 10 | 8 |
| Patrick Kluivert | 7 | 18 |
| Raúl Gonzalez | 6 | 8 |
| Karim Benzema | 6 | 9 |
| Jude Bellingham | 6 | 23 |
| Ayegbeni Yakubu | 5 | 5 |
| Rodrygo | 5 | 11 |
| Désiré Doué | 5 | 16 |
| Bojan Krkić | 5 | 23 |
Defining Clásico Up Next for Yamal
Following a first defeat in 2026–27, Barcelona enter a tough run of games with Real Madrid next up in the season’s first Clásico on Sunday, Oct. 25. It’s another fixture Yamal is used to setting records in.
The teenager is both the youngest player to feature and score in the Clásico, making his debut in the iconic match at the age of just 16 years and 107 days old. Exactly a year on, he scored the third in a crushing 4–0 victory at the Bernabéu to make history.
In a total of nine games played against Barcelona’s great rivals, Yamal has three goals and two assists to date.
Though voting is already concluded, one of the many narratives of Sunday’s match will be the showdown between two Ballon d’Or frontrunners: Yamal and Mbappé. Both superstars have campaigned extensively for soccer’s most coveted individual prize in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, which will take place in London the day after the Clásico on Oct. 26.
“I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I deserve it because of what I’ve won,” Yamal told Spanish broadcaster Movistar+ last month.
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This story was originally published October 21, 2026 at 7:30 AM.