Lamine Yamal already overtakes Real Madrid rival in key stat after electric start to 2026-27 season

FC Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal’s brace in a 5-0 win over Valencia has helped him surpass the total La Liga goal tally of a Real Madrid star.

Yamal has firmly established himself as a superstar in world football over the last four years, becoming Barcelona’s next big hope for Lionel Messi’s successor on the Blaugrana.

Yamal’s hot start to the 2026-27 La Liga season through three games has officially helped him surpass the total goal tally of a Real Madrid player who was once one of their star forwards.

Yamal’s two goals against Valencia took his season goal tally to four and his total La Liga tally to 34 over his career, surpassing Madrid’s Rodrygo, who has managed just 33 goals in his career.

Yamal has played 105 La Liga games over his career after debuting with a lone appearance in the 2022-23 season at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, becoming the team’s youngest player in 100 years.

Rodrygo has played 191 La Liga games since joining Madrid in 2019-20. He’s played 30+ games in the four seasons between 2021 and 2025, but injuries limited him to 18 appearances last season.

The 25-year-old Brazilian forward tore his ACL and meniscus in March 2026 in a devastating injury and is currently recovering.

It’s unclear when Rodrygo will return and if he will feature in Jose Mourinho’s plans, especially with their surplus of attacking talents.

Rodrygo’s most prolific goalscoring season in La Liga came in 2023-24, where he netted 10 goals over the campaign.

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Yamal scored 16 goals last season alone, and is on pace to blow Rodrygo’s tally out of the water based on how well he has started this season.

Yamal was named as one of Barcelona’s five captains before the start of the season, getting the honour as a player-led selection, making him the youngest Barcelona captain ever.

After his incredible performances at the 2026 World Cup to lead Spain to another WC title, Yamal is one of the most high-profile forwards in the world.

Barcelona’s fluid attacking style under Hansi Flick will create plenty of opportunities, with the lack of a true striker in their lineup allowing players like Yamal to up their goalscoring.

Raphinha leads La Liga with six goals in three games, but Yamal’s influence on Barca’s attack is impossible to ignore.

If Yamal continues improving at this rate, he genuinely might take the mantle of best player in the world before even turning 21 years old.

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