Yamal extends Barcelona contract until 2031

Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Spanish champions until 2031, the club announced on Tuesday.

The 17-year-old winger, whose previous deal was due to expire in 2026, enjoyed a stellar season as Barca won LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.

He registered 18 goals and 21 assists in all competitions, with only Raphinha (21) bettering that latter figure in the Barca squad.

Yamal also produced two mesmerising displays in the Champions League semi-finals, though Hansi Flick's side lost 7-6 on aggregate to Inter.

Remarkably, Yamal led the charts in LaLiga for assists (13), shots from outside the area (67), big chances created (28), shots following a carry (56), chances created following a carry (35), throughballs (33) and dribbles completed (161) in 2024-25.

Reports suggest the Spain international will become Barcelona squad's highest-paid player if he meets certain performance-related clauses present in the deal.

Having displayed such entertaining football this season, Yamal is considered a leading contender for this year's Ballon d'Or.

Barca president Joan Laporta had previously expressed confidence that Yamal would put pen to paper, also revealing renewal talks were underway with both Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong, who is entering the final 12 months of his deal.

"Raphinha's new deal will happen. [Sporting director] Deco has a strong connection with Rapha. The player feels very involved with the project," Laporta said. "We will reach an agreement because we want him to stay, and he wants to stay.

"Frenkie de Jong new deal? His situation is urgent. We don't want a player who only has a one-year contract.

"He knows that, and we've talked about it. He's very motivated. We really like the Dutch school of play. With him, we dominate the game."