Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal added another line to his record book, but the story of the night was far from simple.
The teenager scored from the spot in Barca’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano, a game that had more drama than fans expected.
The 18-year-old won and converted a penalty just before halftime, becoming the youngest player in the 21st century to score a penalty in La Liga. Yet the decision to award the spot kick stirred debate, as VAR was out of action due to a technical failure.
1 - Against Rayo Vallecano, @FCBarcelona's Lamine Yamal has become the youngest player to score a penalty goal in LaLiga in the 21st Century (18 years and 49 days). Precocious. pic.twitter.com/wm4x4eZkVX
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 31, 2025
That left Rayo’s protests unanswered and Barca walking into halftime with an edge that felt more than a little disputed.
A record breaker, but a tough lesson for Barca
Yamal has been breaking records faster than defenders can mark him. He already holds marks for youngest starter, youngest scorer, and youngest player with a brace in La Liga history.
Now, with this penalty, he has yet another to his name. The kid clearly doesn’t just write history, he edits it too.
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But the evening wasn’t a fairy tale for Barcelona. Rayo hit back in the 67th minute through Fran Perez, leaving Hansi Flick’s side to settle for a point.
After the match, Yamal did not shy away from honesty. Speaking to DAZN, he said: “In the end, it's a very difficult pitch, and we lacked intensity, just like in the rest of the matches at the start of La Liga. We have to learn from this to get back to playing with the intensity we had last year after the break.”
Flick echoed the concerns, pointing out the flaws across his midfield and attack. “We did not play well. We didn’t play to our usual sharpness, we didn’t dominate as we should have, and we made many mistakes.”
His words were as sharp as his team’s play was dull.
Barcelona now sit fourth in the table after two wins and this draw, with Real Madrid climbing to first. The Catalans will return after the international break, facing Valencia in what is expected to be their Camp Nou homecoming.
Barcelona news and related links
- Lamine Yamal disappointed after Barcelona draw -"I can do better"
- Rayo Vallecano player reveals referee mistake in match vs FC Barcelona
- Why Lamine Yamal's penalty in Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona is controversial