Barcelona fans, soccer romantics, and statisticians alike will be watching closely—because Lamine Yamal is chasing a milestone once set by his idol, Neymar.
As Barcelona prepares to close out their 2024-25 La Liga season against Athletic Club on Sunday, the focus isn’t on silverware or tactics. Instead, a 17-year-old prodigy is poised to rewrite a piece of the club’s modern history. Barcelona fans, soccer romantics, and statisticians alike will be watching closely—because Lamine Yamal is chasing a milestone once set by his idol, Neymar.
Amid talks of a lucrative new deal that could make him Barcelona’s third-highest earner, Yamal has shown no signs of distraction. Despite the growing pressure and attention, the teenager has stayed grounded, delivering match after match with fearlessness and flair.
According to Sport, “Yamal won’t be flustered with the noise around him surrounding a potential new contract. The teenage prospect will look to focus on his own game and close out the season on a high note.”
And what a season it has been. With 18 goals and 25 assists across all competitions, Yamal has firmly established himself as the Catalans’ breakout star. But as dazzling as those numbers are, it’s his dribbling—fluid, unpredictable, and magical—that has made him truly unforgettable.
One dribble away from greatness
What exactly is the record he’s chasing? Only now does the full weight of the occasion emerge: Yamal has matched Neymar’s 2016-17 record of 239 successful dribbles in a single season for Barcelona. One more, just one, would see him surpass the Brazilian legend.
“As things stand, Yamal has completed a whopping 239 successful dribbles at Barcelona this season, equalling the tally of Neymar in the 2016/17 campaign,” reports Diario Sport. “One more successful dribble against Athletic Club, therefore, could be enough to see him break Neymar’s record.”
His success rate has been impressive, too. Out of 448 attempted dribbles, Yamal has succeeded 53.3% of the time, showcasing both his boldness and efficiency on the ball. To put this into context, only Lionel Messi has achieved more in a single season, with a mind-boggling 307 dribbles in 2014-15, followed by 260 in 2019-20 and 253 in 2017-18.
While the Spanish youngster still has a way to go to catch Messi, passing the 33-year-old veteran is an incredible achievement in itself—especially for a player still in his teens.
