Lamine Yamal's record at 17 compared to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi proves we are witnessing something special

Lamine Yamal's record at 17 years, 10 months and 24 days old has been compared to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's when they were his age.

If his country manage to beat Portugal on Sunday night, then two-time La Liga winner Yamal will become a Nations League winner, just a year after he helped Spain lift a record-breaking fourth European Championship.

The teenager, who scored twice on Thursday as Luis de la Fuente's side held off France to reach the final, will be hoping to make more history when they visit the Allianz Arena this weekend.

It has been a remarkable rise for Yamal, who first appeared on our radar in April 2023, when he became Barcelona's youngest ever player after featuring against Real Betis at the age of 15 years, nine months and 16 days.

He would go on to smash Celestine Babayaro's record for being the youngest player ever to start a game in the Champions League at 16 years and 83 days, and soon smashed Gareth Bale's record as the youngest scorer in a European Championship qualification game.

Ahead of his 18th birthday next month, Yamal has netted 25 goals in 106 appearances for Barcelona's first team; not to mention his 20 caps and six goals for the Spanish national team.

How does his record compare to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when they were 17?

At 17 years and seven months old, Ronaldo made his debut for boyhood club Sporting in the UEFA Cup against Partizan Belgrade. Just a few days later, he made his debut in Portugal's top tier against Sporting Braga.

Before turning 18, Ronaldo had notched five goals and four assists for Sporting in 19 appearances, but had yet to make his debut for Portugal. Messi, meanwhile, had netted just once for Barcelona's first-team in nine games.

After making his first-team debut in a friendly against Porto at 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi would go ono to make his first competitive appearance for Barca against Espanyol at the age of 17 years, three months, and 22 days.

At 18, both players were starting to make their mark on world football. Messi scored 10 goals in 34 appearances for the Catalan giants, while Ronaldo impressed enough to earn a £12 million move to Manchester United.

Ronaldo and Messi's record at 17. Image credit: messivsronaldo.app

Speaking ahead of the Nations League final, Portugal's all-time top goalscorer Ronaldo was full of praise for Yamal.

"Lamine Yamal? I ask you to let the boy grow for the good of football," he said. "Let him grow calmly and take the pressure off him. You can help him by leaving him alone because he doesn't lack talent."