Flashscore Player of the Month: Lamine Yamal stars for club and country with goals aplenty

[p]Across five games for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] and two more for Spain in what has been a particularly hectic month, the winger secured a [b]Flashscore rating of 9.4[/b].[/p][p]That was due in no small part to the six goals scored and six assists provided for Barcelona, as well as three goals and one assist for La Roja in UEFA's Nations League tournament.[/p][infobox id="c5ce5f5a-ccb6-468f-9fce-bb4a330c372a" /][h2]The main man for club and country[/h2][p]In two teams full of world-class exponents, it's notable just how much [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine[/a] is already relied upon to deliver the goods week in and week out, and at just 19 years of age, he is already doing just that.[/p][p]His September has been nothing short of incredible, as both Barcelona and Spain have enjoyed record runs. [/p][embed guid="6d92c59d-20a4-482c-bf7a-2d67111f5148" url="https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/2103877455337447667" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Catalan giants have now won eight games in all competitions from the start of a season for the first time, whilst La Roja's 40-game (and counting) unbeaten run has never been achieved before.[/p][p]In almost every game played during the month, Lamine was the difference maker, and it's difficult to argue with the consensus that the talented teen is a generational talent.[/p][p]The ease with which he plays the game belies the pressure he must feel each and every time he pulls on a shirt for either club or country.[/p][embed guid="4d7889eb-b138-4a54-ac25-bc7d6726c041" url="https://x.com/SEFutbol/status/2105029237778382973" social-type="twitter" /][p]Two goals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/valencia-CQeaytrD/?mid=MFH8mVvQ"]against a disappointing Valencia[/a] at the start of September saw him earn a Flashscore rating of 9.6, meaning he only narrowly missed out on a Man of the Match showing.[/p][p]As if to give more perspective on just how good he has been of late, Lamine earned the Man of the Match award in his next three games: a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/feyenoord-8zjySeoN/?mid=nD1UprQ0"]5-1 win[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/feyenoord/8zjySeoN/"]Feyenoord[/a] in the Champions League, in which he scored one goal and assisted two more, for an individual rating of 9.6; a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/levante-G8FL0ShI/?mid=fa2Bd8Ht"]4-2 win[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/levante/G8FL0ShI/"]Levante[/a] in which he scored two (9.1 rating); and a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/racing-santander-nVpEwOrl/?mid=bDWq2kBG"]7-2 victory[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/racing-santander/nVpEwOrl/"]Racing Santander[/a] where he scored one goal and assisted two for a 9.4 rating.[/p][image alt="Lamine Yamal's recent player ratings" id="8bb70228-a540-4672-9386-bbecd54e4793" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5b10f951-b55b-46eb-bb3e-a5c04508497e" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]For good measure, Lamine added another two assists in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/sevilla-h8oAv4Ts/?mid=xOXq7ygD"]3-1 win[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sevilla/h8oAv4Ts/"]Sevilla[/a] for a 9.3 rating that on another day would've earned him one more MOTM showing.[/p][p]Despite being targeted by defenders who often double up in order to limit the danger he possesses, the youngster has still had all the answers.[/p][p]His early goal [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/england-j9N9ZNFA/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=C42ySF3j"]against England[/a] silenced Wembley Stadium, and at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan the crowd rose as one to acclaim his superb showing against Croatia, where two more goals and an assist helped Spain to a comfortable [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/croatia-K8aznggo/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=2T1rwtCi"]4-1 victory[/a].[/p][h2]No one should be in the least bit surprised[/h2][p]Ever since Lamine broke into Barcelona's first team at the age of 15 years, nine months and 16 days in a match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Real Betis[/a] - the youngest player ever to pull on the famous Blaugrana shirt - he has confounded the critics.[/p][p]As with the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a] et al before him, there always appears to be an innate jealousy that follows the best young talent around like a bad smell.[/p][p]To Lamine's credit, he not only seems to have used any negativity to fuel his performances, but he has delighted in continuing to showcase his silky skills in every game.[/p][embed guid="2c180b51-7bee-4f6b-ae1c-e08fa6cd990c" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2105078289559695458" social-type="twitter" /][p]The bigger the expectation of relative failure from others, the better he seems to perform. [/p][p]That he revels in sticking it to the opposition, as well as those all too keen to suggest that his way of playing can somehow be interpreted as disrespectful, is also part of his allure. [/p][p]Why shouldn't he puff out his chest and let everyone know just how good he is? Football is an entertainment business after all.[/p][h2]More records set to tumble[/h2][p]With the Ballon d'Or award just a few weeks away, Lamine remains very much in the conversation for the ultimate individual prize.[/p][p]Whether or not he becomes the youngest to ever win it (the record is currently held by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo/KQjvOGor/"]Ronaldo Nazario[/a] at 21 years and 92 days), there are sure to be many more records that will tumble at Lamine's feet.[/p][p]Injuries notwithstanding, the world truly is his oyster.[/p][h2]On the ground[/h2][p]Flashscore spoke to our Spanish editor, Rafael Gomez, who talked up the player's present and future: [/p][p][b]"Lamine Yamal has completed a perfect month. In September, he played five games with FC Barcelona and his influence was important: six goals and six assists. Also, he played two with Spain, scoring one goal at Wembley against England and two in the victory over Croatia.[/b][/p][p][b]"He's now more than a promise of a good player; he's one of the best in the world. Maybe his World Cup on an individual level wasn’t as good as we expected; however, he won it, as he won LaLiga too. Barcelona can dream of another great season, and Lamine is one of the reasons for that."[/b][/p][embed guid="d4c953dc-d677-4981-9dff-99a8a3c1eaef" url="https://x.com/ballondor/status/2104179420835553724" social-type="twitter" /][p]Colleague Raffaele Riverso was equally as effusive in his praise.[/p][p][b]"The truth is that he’s one of those players where, even if you go to the stadium as a fan or as a journalist, you already know he’s going to surprise you. So, in that sense, he shouldn’t surprise you anymore. And yet, every single time, he still manages to surprise everyone.[/b][/p][p][b]"And I think a lot of that has to do with his age. What he is doing at 19, and what he was already doing at 16, 17 and 18, is probably one of the most incredible things we’ve ever seen in football.[/b][/p][image alt="Lamine Yamal's season so far for FC Barcelona" id="0913ecef-a2e8-436a-80f5-d46fb317c8e6" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="0bf76df9-6110-44dd-9d0e-2793562f0048" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p][b]“People are trying to provoke him, trying to get a reaction out of him, which would be completely understandable considering his age. But instead, he’s showing an incredible level of maturity.[/b][/p][p][b]"We know that the difference between a great talent who makes it and one who doesn’t is often mental, and he’s showing that he has perfected that side of the game as well. [/b][/p][p][b]"In my opinion, we’re really looking at a generational player."[/b][/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]