Lamine Yamal has become only the second La Liga player this century, after Lionel Messi, to score three braces in the opening five league games of a season.
Lamine Yamal matches Messi’s unique La Liga record that Ronaldo and Suárez never achieved
Lamine Yamal has matched a remarkable Lionel Messi record after continuing his incredible start to the new La Liga season with Barcelona.
The 19-year-old scored twice in Barcelona’s 4-2 victory over Levante, taking his league total to six goals after just five matches.
More importantly, it was already Yamal’s third brace of the new La Liga campaign.
That means Yamal has now achieved something only Lionel Messi had previously managed in La Liga during the 21st century.
Yamal matches a unique Messi record
Yamal has scored three braces during Barcelona’s opening five La Liga matches of the 2026/27 season.
His doubles have come against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Levante.
According to Barcelona, Messi was previously the only player in La Liga this century to score three braces within the first five league games of a season.
The Argentine achieved the feat during the 2012/13 campaign.
Messi scored twice against Real Sociedad, then repeated the achievement against Osasuna and Getafe.
Thirteen years later, Barcelona’s new No.10 has now matched that extraordinary start.
Not even Cristiano Ronaldo or Luis Suárez did it
The record becomes even more impressive when looking at some of the legendary attackers who have played in La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo produced extraordinary scoring numbers during his time with Real Madrid.
Luis Suárez also enjoyed several brilliant seasons with Barcelona and became one of the league’s most dangerous strikers.
However, neither Ronaldo nor Suárez managed to score three braces in the opening five La Liga matches of a season.
Other famous forwards including David Villa, Diego Forlán and Fernando Torres also failed to achieve the same feat.
This does not mean Yamal has surpassed Ronaldo or Suárez in overall goals or career achievements.
It simply means that in this specific statistic, Yamal has achieved something they never managed in La Liga.
Three braces in only five games
Yamal’s numbers show just how impressive his start to the season has been.
He scored his first league brace of the campaign against Rayo Vallecano.
Another two-goal performance followed against Valencia.
He then added his third brace against Levante on Sunday.
Yamal scored in the 19th minute before converting a penalty shortly after half-time as Barcelona secured a 4-2 victory.
Those two goals took him to six in his first five La Liga appearances of the season.
Seven goals already this season
Yamal’s form has not been limited to domestic competition.
The Barcelona winger has already scored seven goals across all competitions this season.
Six have come in La Liga, while another arrived in the Champions League.
He has also contributed assists, showing that his influence goes far beyond simply scoring goals.
Yamal is now among the leading scorers in Spain and has played a major role in Barcelona’s strong start to the campaign.
Barcelona’s new No.10 follows Messi again
The comparison with Messi is especially interesting because Yamal now wears Barcelona’s famous No.10 shirt.
That number will always be strongly connected with Messi after his historic career at the club.
Yamal has repeatedly said that he wants to build his own story rather than simply become “the next Messi.”
But statistics continue to place the two players together as Yamal breaks or matches records at an unusually young age.
This latest achievement is another example.
Messi set the standard in 2012/13.
Now Yamal has finally matched it.
A stunning start to the 2026/27 season
Yamal entered the new campaign with huge expectations after becoming one of the most important players for both Barcelona and Spain.
So far, he has responded with goals and decisive performances.
Six goals from his opening five La Liga matches represents one of the best starts of his young career.
His ability to score multiple goals in matches has also added another dimension to his game.
Yamal has always been known for his dribbling, creativity and ability to create chances.
Now he is becoming increasingly dangerous in front of goal as well.
Yamal joins Messi in an exclusive club
Many of football’s greatest attacking players have competed in La Liga during the 21st century.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suárez, David Villa, Diego Forlán and several other legendary names produced incredible scoring records.
Yet none of them managed this particular start to a league season.
Until now, Messi stood alone.
Yamal has joined him.
Three braces in five La Liga games have placed Barcelona’s 19-year-old star alongside arguably the greatest player in the club’s history.
Another historic milestone for Lamine Yamal
Yamal’s career is still only beginning, but the list of records connected with his name continues to grow.
His latest achievement may be one of the most eye-catching yet because of the players who failed to do it.
Cristiano Ronaldo never managed it.
Luis Suárez never managed it.
In La Liga this century, only Lionel Messi had done it before.
Now Lamine Yamal has matched the Argentine legend with three braces in Barcelona’s first five league matches of the 2026/27 season.
And with Yamal already showing outstanding form in front of goal, there could be many more records waiting for Barcelona’s No.10 this season.
