Lamine Yamal breaks Mbappé's Champions League record as Barcelona thrash Feyenoord 5-1

Yamal surpasses Mbappé's record

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal broke an all-time Champions League record on Wednesday, September 9, during the league-phase opener against Feyenoord at Camp Nou — the record for most goal involvements (goals plus assists) by a teenager in the competition's history, previously held by Kylian Mbappé.

Early in the match, Yamal volleyed a pass to Raphinha, who beat two defenders with an individual effort before finishing to open the scoring. The assist marked Yamal's 21st career Champions League goal involvement (11 goals, 10 assists), surpassing Mbappé's previous record of 20.

Yamal went on to score himself with a left-footed free kick from around 20 meters that slipped between two Feyenoord players in the defensive wall, and added a second assist later in the match, finishing the day with 23 career Champions League goal involvements. Yamal turned 19 in July, meaning he will have the rest of this year's campaign to extend the record further.

A convincing win for Barcelona

Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1. Besides Yamal, Raphinha scored twice — including in the 57th minute — while new signings Karim Adeyemi (a curling shot into the top corner in the 22nd minute) and Gabriel Jesus (a headed goal after coming off the bench in the 85th minute) also found the net. Feyenoord are coached by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who spent four years at Barcelona as a player and won the Champions League with the club in 2006.

According to KSAT, the match was one of eight played on the opening day of this season's new Champions League league phase, with goal-scoring rates so far running well above last season's average.

Context: Ballon d'Or and bigger ambitions

This week Yamal was named to the Ballon d'Or shortlist for a third consecutive year and is considered among the favorites for an award he narrowly missed out on last season as runner-up. As Eurosport reports, Yamal won the World Cup with Spain over the summer but has yet to lift the Champions League itself — Barcelona were eliminated in the semifinals by Inter and in the quarterfinals by Atlético Madrid over the past two seasons. Yamal has said winning the Champions League is now his top priority. Ahead of the Feyenoord match, he also stressed that modern football rewards pressing and running, warning that without it, opponents "will beat us."