Lamine Yamal has turned into one of the best players in the world almost overnight, with little time even to call him a prospect. His current run with Barcelona has him holding a U-23 record for goal contributions this season despite being just 18 years old, with a Serie A star close to his numbers.
Yamal has been the main attacking threat at Barcelona for some time. His combined goals and assists back this up, according to Marca. The right winger leads the five top European leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) among players under 23 with 18 goal contributions. He has scored 10 goals and provided eight assists.
The other youngster was born in 2004, giving an age advantage to the rest. This player competes in Serie A for Como 1907, Nicolás Paz. For the Argentine, Italy has been the right place to develop, as he has accumulated 15 goal contributions. That total comes from 9 goals and 6 assists.
Yamal and Paz could be headlining important matches
Nobody can predict what the future holds for players on these trajectories. However, it is already hard to imagine Yamal wearing a different jersey in the future. That means we could see this matchup in a future El Clásico.
Paz has been great for Como in his time in Italy (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Paz began his youth career at Real Madrid. The son of former Argentina World Cup player Pablo Paz developed through the ranks but could not break into the first team. His move to Como included a buyout clause for his club of origin that seems likely to be activated.
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There are even more impactful fixtures they could play against each other sooner than that. While Yamal may be Spain’s best player with the World Cup looming, Paz keeps making his case for Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the tournament. The Finalissima between the two countries on March 27 could see these left-sided players face off for the first time.
Stars that don’t equal Yamal and Paz
These players are exceptions to the rule, as no other U-23 player has reached 15 goal contributions. With Paz at 21 and Yamal turning 19 in July, they remain alone in the category and are notably younger than many rivals.
Names that should rank higher on the list include Jude Bellingham, who had a magnificent first season at Real Madrid but could not replicate that production because of injuries. A more offensively minded player who has not reached the mark is Florian Wirtz, for whom Liverpool paid over $100 million. Jamal Musiala, Cole Palmer and Nico Williams are other notable competitors.
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