Lamine Yamal has cemented himself as one of the world’s best players in 2025. Most people won’t bat an eye for a breakout star, but he is doing this at only 17 years of age. That is a remarkable feat since no one can deny his impact on the game for the Barcelona and Spain national football teams. 

People are looking for reasons why he has reached the pinnacle of the sport. Have a look at his biggest strengths and what he has done to earn this kind of reputation as a fresh-faced teenager.

Yamal plays beyond his age

At only 17, most people will expect a footballer to be brash and eager to prove himself. That often leads to mistakes, given that the player is still immature in the big boys�?game of football. That’s not the case with Yamal as he plays with maturity beyond his years. He might be a teenager, but he has the mature mind of a player 10 years older than him.

It is a massive compliment for Yamal since he is the most dangerous player on the pitch for Barça and the Spanish national team. That is extremely rare since most teenagers do not get the minutes he is playing, as he has become irreplaceable for his club and country.

He started playing out of necessity with Barcelona’s injuries, but his talent cannot be denied. Yamal has become a regular for both club and country, which is unique given his age, and he will keep growing into his position for the next decade when he enters his physical prime at 27. 

Yamal takes charge of the games

In his games, Yamal isn’t just making an impact as he’s taking control and making a real difference. Lamine loves to play with flair, which is evident in his dribbling, passing, and the difficult shots he takes. That has made him such a fun player to watch as he always finds ways to make a jaw-dropping play.

People will usually expect that from the superstars, and that is what Yamal is now. He is a superstar who deserves all the credit in the world for working hard in youth football and developing into arguably the best winger in the sport. 

Yamal is arguably football’s greatest-ever teenager

Aside from names like Pelé and Kylian Mbappé, it is hard to find players who can match Yamal. He broke out as a 15-year-old and dominated the UEFA European Championships as a 16-year-old. That is a massive achievement that has not been replicated to the same level, which makes him such a unique player who deserves his plaudits.

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An intense match between Inter Milan and Barcelona ended with the Italians�?victory as they avoided elimination from the competition. On aggregate, Inter Milan scored 7-6 against Barcelona, meaning they will advance to the next Champions League round.

Inter was on the verge of losing as the scores had almost settled at 3-2. With only two minutes of stoppage time left, Inter’s Francesco Acerbi defied fate and scored a goal to level the match at 3-3. 

During the first half of extra time, Inter substitute Davide Frattesi scored another goal that gave the Italians the lead. In desperation, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal tried to score twice, but goalkeeper Yann Sommer blocked the attempts—this saved the game from going into penalties. 

This victory will lead to a matchup against the winner of the upcoming Paris Saint-Germain versus Arsenal to be played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday, 31 May 2025.

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The UEFA Women’s Champions League’s semi-finals are halfway through as Olympique Lyonnais and Barcelona Femení have taken the lead against their English rivals. Lyon won a close match 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal on Saturday, April 19, while Barça won against Chelsea 4-1 on Sunday, April 20.

With these results, Barça and Lyon are nearing a rematch from the 2024 UWCL Final. The Catalan club is gunning for their third straight UWCL title to prove their dominance.

Barça and Lyon were superb in the semi-finals

Barcelona had a great game against Chelsea, as they had three players score, with Clàudia Pina scoring a brace and Ewa Pajor and Irene Paredes scoring one goal apiece. Chelsea got a consolation goal to make it 4-1, which leaves the Blues in a tough spot ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge on April 27, 2025.

On the other side, Melchie Dumornay scored the winner in the 82nd minute, as they caught Arsenal’s defence off guard. Mariona Caldentey scored from the penalty spot for Arsenal, but it was not enough because Kadidiatou Diani scored earlier. With these results, Barça and Lyon will likely have a rematch in the Final.

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Barcelona missed a golden chance to pull ahead in La Liga as they drew 1-1 with Real Betis at home on Saturday. The draw keeps Barca at the top of the table with 67 points, just four ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who lost 2-1 to Valencia last April 5.

Barcelona dominates but settles for a draw with Real Betis

Barcelona took the lead early when Gavi scored in the seventh minute, finishing a fine build-up with Ferran Torres. Real Betis fought back, equalising through Natan’s header just 10 minutes later.

Despite dominating possession, Barca failed to convert their chances. Goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel was key for Real Betis, making several crucial saves to deny Barca’s attacks.

With this draw, Real Betis climbed to sixth place with 48 points, while Madrid's defeat means the race for the title is tougher than ever. Coach Carlo Ancelotti noted that his side is under pressure but remains hopeful. 'It is much harder now to fight for the league, but we only have one idea and that is to fight until the end because we still have a chance after this game,�?Ancelotti said.

The fight for La Liga heats, with eight rounds left and a major Clasico clash set for May.

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Barcelona made a crazy late comeback to beat Atlético Madrid 4-2. They are now top of La Liga because of the goal difference. Atlético led 2-0 with 20 minutes left. However, Barça scored four times in a wild finish. Ferran Torres scored twice, including a goal in stoppage time, to win the game.

Atlético controlled the first half and looked set for a big win. Julián Álvarez scored in the 45th minute after a pass from Giuliano Simeone. In the second half, Atlético made it 2-0 in the 70th minute. Alexander Sørloth scored from close range after a sharp pass from Conor Gallagher. 

Robert Lewandowski acted fast and scored in the 72nd minute. He did a low shot past Jan Oblak after a pass from Iñigo Martínez. Six minutes later, Ferran Torres tied the game with a header from a Raphinha cross.

The game seemed headed for a draw. However, Lamine Yamal put Barcelona ahead in the 92nd minute and in the 98th minute, Torres scored again after a pass from Pedri to secure the win.

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FC Barcelona plans to extend Raphinha's contract until 2029. The 28-year-old Brazilian winger has become a key player for the team under coach Hansi Flick. His current deal lasts until 2027, but the club wants to keep him longer.

This season, Raphinha shines with 24 goals and 15 assists in just 35 games. He is Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer and a leader in the locker room. 

The new contract will keep him at Barcelona longer and increase his salary starting in 2026. This shows how much the club values what he brings to the team. Raphinha has become one of the most notable players, both on and off the field.

Since joining Leeds United in 2022, Raphinha has adjusted well to his role under Flick’s guidance. He started as a right-winger but now plays regularly on the left side. 

Raphinha's great performance this season puts him on track to beat his fellow Brazilian, Vinicius Jr., at Real Madrid, who also aims for the Ballon d'Or award. With this contract extension, Barcelona wants to keep one of its best players for the future. Fans can look forward to seeing more of Raphinha's skills in the coming years.

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Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday after recovering from an early equaliser and a second-half red card. The goals from Robert Lewandowski, Fermín López, Raphinha, and Eric García helped secure three important points. 

Lewandowski is the top scorer, but Guirassy is catching up after scoring twice. Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior are also close, with others on six goals. For assists, Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremie Frimpong, and Raphinha lead with five each.

Barcelona is in third place with 48 points. They are one point behind Atlético Madrid and two points behind Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 on Saturday. Lewandowski scored in the 7th minute, but Rubén Vargas quickly tied it for Sevilla a minute later. 

The first half was close. In the 47th minute, López came on at halftime and put Barça back in front with a great shot. Raphinha added another goal in the 55th minute with a powerful long shot. 

However, five minutes later, López got a red card for a bad tackle on Djibril Sow. Barça was down to 10 players. Sevilla attacked, but Barcelona’s defence held strong and kept them from scoring.

Even with the pressure, Barcelona secured the win in the 89th minute when García scored with a header. The win keeps Barça in the race for the title as they chase the top teams in Madrid.

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Barcelona took a huge step towards the top of La Liga with a 4-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Fermín López, Raphinha, and Eric García pushed Barca to 48 points, one behind Atlético Madrid and two behind leaders Real Madrid.

López scored after halftime to give Barca the lead again, and Raphinha’s strike made it 3-1. Even after López was sent off for a foul, Barcelona held on and sealed the win when García scored late in the game.

Napoli drew 1-1 in Serie A with Udinese, keeping their lead at 55 points, four ahead of second-place Inter Milan. Scott McTominay gave Napoli the lead, but Jurgen Ekkelenkamp equalised for Udinese.

In Ligue 1, Lyon won 4-0 against Reims in their first game under a new coach. Nicolás Tagliafico, Corentin Tolisso, Rayan Cherki, and Georges Mikautadze all scored.

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