NEW RECORDS IN LA LIGA
Picture : Lamine Yamal entered in History.
New and old age records in La Liga
On April 29, Lamine Yamal has debuted for Barcelona at the age of just 15 years 290 days in their 4-0 league win over Betis, replacing Gavi in the 83rd minute. It wasn’t a risk for the coach Xavi to give the youth player some minutes with the victory already sealed.
Meanwhile, Lamine became the youngest ever Barcelona player to appear in La Liga game, and the 5th player under 16 years in the history of competition overall (they are listed below; Lamine is the youngest among them).
*It was not only record in that game caused by Yamal’s appearance. For coincidence, at his entering the game, the opponent’s lineup contained a super-old player, 2nd oldest in La Liga history: Joaquín Sánchez whose age was 41 years 282 days.
The age difference between them two made 25 years 357 days; such a big difference between any rival players was never seen in La Liga before. Unfortunately, they did not meet on the pitch as Joaquín got injured and the pitch just 2 minutes and 41 seconds before Lamine's entry.
*The only player to ever appear in La Liga game being older than Joaquín is Harry Lowe. He has played the full away game vs Valencia (1-7) on 24 March 1935 for Real Sociedad (renamed then to Donostia for a short time) aged 48 years 226 days.
Lowe was the Donostia’s coach; his appearance in the game was nothing more than an emergency. Donostia went in Valencia with only 11 men. One of them got injured just before the kick-off, so Lowe has forcedly included himself in the lineup. Curiously, he made an assist for the only goal of the Basque side.
Lowe was not, of course, a regular player of his team, unlike Joaquín now. So, among regular players, Joaquín is the oldest in La Liga history.
*In the just mentioned game Valencia vs Donostia in 2015, there was another curious coincidence. One of Howe’s team-mates was Pedro Irastorza, one of 5 players figuring in the list below. At that moment, he was yet the only La Liga player to debut under 16.
The age difference between Howe and Irastorza made 31 years 255 days, and this is biggest ever such difference between partners in La Liga history.
*Taking in consideration all competitions, including those existing before La Liga inception in 1929, we can find a player that has debuted for Barcelona at even younger age. His name is Armando Martínez Sagi.
Born on 28 April 1906, Sagi has played being 14 years 200 days old on 14 November 1920 against Internacional in the Catalonia Regional Championship.
| UNDER 16 | PLAYERS | IN TOP | DIVISION | SPAIN | 1929- | ||
| Player | Nationality | Age (Y-D) | Team | Debut Game | Date Debut | Date Birth | |
| 1 | Luka Romero | Argentina | 15-219 | Mallorca | Real Madrid 0-2 | 24/06/2020 | 08/11/2004 |
| 2 | Sansón | Spain | 15-255 | Celta | Sevilla 4-1 | 31/12/1939 | 20/04/1924 |
| 3 | Pedro Irastorza | Spain | 15-288 | Real Sociedad | Barcelona 0-4 | 04/02/1934 | 22/04/1918 |
| 4 | Óscar Ramón | Spain | 15-289 | Zaragoza | Barcelona 0-4 | 09/09/1984 | 25/11/1968 |
| 5 | Lamine Yamal | Spain | 15-290 | Barcelona | Betis 4-0 | 29/04/2023 | 13/07/2007 |