Yamal joins Messi and Neymar on exclusive list despite PSG defeat

Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal has written his name into the history books alongside two of the greatest players of the modern era, becoming the first player in Europe’s top five leagues since Lionel Messi and Neymar’s 2022/23 season at Paris Saint-Germain to register 10 goals and 10 assists before November, according to Sofascore’s data covering the period since 2015/16.

The 19-year-old winger officially hit the incredible double-digit milestone in just his 12th appearance of the 2026/27 campaign.

He joins an exclusive club that, in that period, had previously included only Messi and Neymar, who both reached the mark together at PSG.

The sheer speed at which Yamal has reached 10 goals and 10 assists places him in the highest possible tier of attacking output.

Messi and Neymar set the benchmark during the 2022/23 season at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi reached the milestone in 17 appearances (12 goals, 13 assists), while Neymar needed 18 (14 goals, 10 assists).

Yamal has now bettered both, achieving the output in just 12 appearances across all competitions, five fewer than Messi and six fewer than Neymar.

However, the individual celebration was dampened by the collective outcome on the night he achieved the feat.

Yamal secured his 10th goal of the season during Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League league phase clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, October 20.

With the Catalan giants trailing 2-1 at the Parc des Princes, the teenager struck in the 79th minute to briefly equalise and seemingly rescue a point.

The joy was incredibly short-lived, as Barcelona’s defensive structure collapsed in the final ten minutes.

Late goals from PSG midfielders Vitinha (81') and Fabián Ruiz (86') condemned Hansi Flick’s side to a comprehensive 4-2 defeat, handing them their first defeat of the season in any competition and ending an 11-game winning run.

Despite the frustrating result in France, Yamal’s overall start to the season remains historically brilliant. Eight of his 10 goals and six of his 10 assists have come in LALIGA, with the rest in Europe.

In LALIGA, he has been virtually unplayable, racking up eight goals and six assists in just nine appearances to keep Barcelona at the top of the domestic standings.

He has translated that form flawlessly to the Champions League, adding two goals and four assists in three continental fixtures.

As he continues to operate at a level previously reached only by Messi and Neymar in this period, Yamal, whom Hansi Flick called the best player in the world after the win at Betis, looks every inch the centrepiece of Barcelona’s present and future.