Meknes – Lamine Yamal made history on Wednesday, becoming the youngest captain in FC Barcelona history during their UEFA Champions League clash against Feyenoord.
Pedri left the pitch in the 63rd minute, followed by Raphinha eight minutes later. As he made his way to the bench, the Brazilian handed the armband to Yamal, who stepped up as captain for the rest of the match.
With both primary captains off the pitch, leadership fell to the young winger, who had been voted onto Barcelona’s five-man leadership group alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong.
With Garcia suspended and De Jong out injured, Yamal was next in line to lead the team.
The winger capped off his special night with a great 77th-minute free-kick from the edge of the box, beating the goalkeeper as his shot went straight through the wall.
Right after scoring, he ran straight to the bench to celebrate with Raphinha, who had handed him the captain’s armband just six minutes earlier.
By taking the armband, Yamal broke the long-standing record previously held by Bojan Krkić to become the youngest captain in Barcelona’s history.
At just 19 years old, the winger surpassed Bojan’s mark, adding another major milestone to his rapidly growing list of club records.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper ahead of the Feyenoord clash, the young winger reflected on the honor of joining Barcelona’s leadership group.
“It’s something to be proud of at 19 years old. I’m very grateful to my teammates. It’s a position that comes with responsibilities, even if I’m only 19, but I’m very happy,” Yamal said.
