Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is nearly sure to finish the 2024-25 season with probably the most profitable accomplished dribbles throughout Europe’s 5 main leagues – however how do his dribbling stats examine to his idols Lionel Messi and Neymar at their peaks?
The 17-year-old has notched 138 profitable dribbles in La Liga this season, which is comfortably greater than another participant within the Spanish prime flight in addition to the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
We’ve taken a more in-depth have a look at how the rising star’s dribbling stats examine to the all-time greats.
Lamine Yamal’s 2024-25 dribbling stats
A close to ever-present for Barcelona this season, Yamal has accomplished 138 profitable dribbles from 31 outings in La Liga – averaging one each 18 minutes.
Manchester Metropolis winger Jeremy Doku is the one participant in Europe’s main leagues to have accomplished greater than 100 this season (102), with West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Sevilla’s Dodi Lukebakio third and fourth with 87 and 82 respectively.
Doku really averages profitable dribbles extra continuously than Yamal, having performed significantly fewer minutes. The Belgian notches a profitable dribble within the Premier League each 13 minutes.
Whereas prime for profitable dribbles, Yamal can nonetheless refine and enhance his sport additional. His dribbles tried numbers are by means of the roof – 275 in complete, which is 81 greater than another participant within the prime European leagues.
{The teenager} additionally ranks prime in Europe for unsuccessful dribbles (137), 25 greater than his shut buddy and Spain team-mate Nico Williams.
That signifies that Yamal’s dribble success fee is only a fraction over 50%. That’s not too dangerous, although; Doku’s success fee is simply 55%, Kudus’ is 44%, Vinicius Junior’s is down at 43% and Williams is as little as 36%. Beating gamers ain’t straightforward, even for world-class superstars.
Yamal has as much as 4 matches left in Barcelona’s 2024-25 La Liga marketing campaign. Ought to he characteristic commonly and proceed at his present fee, he may simply finish the marketing campaign on 150+ profitable dribbles.
Final season Kudus topped the dribble charts with simply 124 profitable take-ons. The 12 months earlier than it was Vinicius on 112. Allan Saint-Maximin notched 150 in 2021-22 whereas Lionel Messi topped the charts with 159 within the 2020-21 marketing campaign, his final at Barcelona.
Lionel Messi’s peak dribbling stats
Messi’s most prolific league marketing campaign for accomplished dribbles was 186 again in 2010-11, a 12 months wherein Barcelona received each La Liga.
Pep Guardiola’s era-defining aspect additionally received the Champions League that 12 months, and the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner notched an additional 79 profitable dribbles from simply 13 outings within the competitors.
That labored out as one accomplished each 13 minutes in Europe’s prime competitors, whereas his effectivity was a formidable 65% success fee.
Yamal nonetheless has some solution to go to succeed in these numbers, having notched 42 profitable dribbles (and 41 unsuccessful) within the Champions League so far this season, to go alongside his 138 in La Liga.
However keep in mind that Barcelona’s newest starlet is simply 17 and Messi had barely damaged into the primary group at that stage in his personal growth. It wasn’t till he’d turned 23 in 2010 that he began to succeed in his peak numbers.
Messi notched 150+ profitable dribbles in six completely different La Liga campaigns (2010-11, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2020-21) and 100+ 13 occasions in complete, proper as much as his final season within the European sport with 102 for PSG – 2022-23, wherein solely Vinicius notched extra throughout the main European leagues.
Ought to Yamal attain 150 dribbles in La Liga, that may be someplace across the median of Messi’s peak seasons. Not dangerous for a 17-year-old.
READ: Evaluating Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona stats after 100 matches with Lionel Messi’s
Neymar’s peak dribbles stats
“I used to be 5 years previous after I noticed Neymar at Santos, however seven years previous after I noticed him in particular person at FC Barcelona on the Camp Nou,” Yamal informed CNN.
“It was unimaginable to see him. Sure, it’s true that (Lionel) Messi was there who was additionally unimaginable, however Neymar was one thing completely completely different. Neymar has at all times been my idol. He’s a star, a soccer legend.”
You possibly can undoubtedly see Neymar’s fearless affect if you see Yamal decide up the ball and immediately take into consideration terrorising his opposition full-back.
The Brazilian’s peak wasn’t fairly so long as Messi’s, and in his latter years at PSG he suffered dreadful look with accidents, however when match and firing his dribble numbers have been predictably sensible.
Together with worldwide stats, Messi is chargeable for six of the ten most prolific seasons in relation to dribbles accomplished. Eden Hazard and Neymar have the opposite 4, two apiece.
Remarkably, he notched 142 profitable dribbles in his debut Ligue 1 season with PSG, 2017-18, regardless of solely that includes in 20 of their 38 video games. That works out as a profitable dribble each 12 minutes and a stellar success fee of 66%.
Yamal is closing in on matching that tally, in addition to his second-most prolific dribbling season at Barcelona – 143 in 2015-16 – however he’s unlikely to catch his idol’s best-ever season by way of take-on numbers simply but.
Neymar registered 168 profitable dribbles from 30 La Liga appearances in 2016-17.
READ NEXT: The three Barcelona icons Lamine Yamal idolised rising up
TRY A QUIZ: The Large Lamine Yamal Quiz: 17 questions on soccer’s most exceptional 17-year-old
