Lamine Yamal scores first-ever career hat-trick at 18 years and 230 days: When did Lionel Messi score his maiden hat-trick, and how old was he?

With such milestones inevitably come comparisons to Lionel Messi, the player who defined a generation at Barcelona. The question naturally arises: when did Messi score his first hat-trick, and how old was he?

Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are once again being spoken about in the same breath, as Barcelona witnesses another historic milestone from its teenage sensation. On February 28, 2026, Lamine Yamal delivered a performance that confirmed his meteoric rise. The 18-year-old forward scored the...