Outpoll | Lamine Yamal Tops CIES Chance Creation Ranking.

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Lamine Yamal Tops CIES Chance Creation Ranking.

Lamine Yamal Tops CIES Chance Creation Ranking.

1 day ago7 min read11 comments

In the relentless, data-driven world of modern football, where every pass and possession is dissected with microscopic precision, a new king of creation has been crowned, and his name is Lamine Yamal. The latest ranking from the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) has sent shockwaves through the analytics community, placing the 18-year-old Barcelona winger at the very pinnacle of chance creation over the past six months, awarding him a perfect score of 100.This isn't just a number; it's a seismic declaration. The methodology itself is ruthlessly specific, focusing solely on domestic league matches and quantifying the passes a player makes that lead directly to high expected goals (xG) shots or deliveries into the most dangerous zones on the pitch.It’s the metric that separates the mere passers from the architects of chaos, the players who don't just move the ball but who carve open defenses with surgical precision. And sitting atop this pyramid, ahead of established global superstars and seasoned veterans, is a teenager who only recently left the academy, a fact that should terrify defenders across Europe for the next decade.To put this into its proper, staggering context, Yamal isn't just leading; he is the benchmark. Directly on his heels is Real Madrid's prodigy Arda Güler with a 98.1, a rating that would have led most other analyses, followed closely by his Barça teammate Raphinha Dias at 95. 3.The presence of Mohamed Salah at 95. 2 and the metronomic Kevin De Bruyne—listed here with Napoli, a curious data point in its own right—at 93.3, only amplifies the sheer audacity of Yamal’s achievement. He is operating in a stratosphere alongside players who are the cornerstones of their clubs and nations, players in their absolute prime.This is reminiscent of when a young Lionel Messi first started appearing on radars, not just for his dribbling, but for the unerring, almost psychic quality of his final ball. Yamal possesses that same preternatural vision, an ability to see passing lanes before they even materialize, to weight a cross with such delicate ferocity that it seems to defy physics.Watching him play is to watch a artist at work; he doesn't just kick the ball, he paints with it. His performances this season have been a masterclass in youthful fearlessness combined with an old-soul footballing IQ.He consistently chooses the option with the highest percentage for success, often eschewing the simpler, safer pass for the incisive, defense-splitting through-ball that turns a consolidated defensive block into a panicked scramble. This CIES ranking validates what the eyes have been seeing for months: Lamine Yamal is not a prospect, he is a present-day force.The broader implications for Barcelona are immense. In a period of significant financial and structural turmoil, the emergence of a homegrown talent of this caliber is nothing short of a lifeline.He represents the purest form of the club's La Masia philosophy, a beacon of hope and a tangible link to a glorious past. For Spain, his rise, coupled with Güler's high placement, signals a thrilling shift towards a new generation of technically sublime, creatively fearless attackers ready to dominate the international stage.While the raw data from CIES gives us the 'what'—the cold, hard numbers of his supremacy—the 'how' is what truly captivates. It’s in the way he uses his body to shield the ball, his explosive change of pace to create half a yard, and that wand of a left foot that can deliver crosses with whip and dip or slide passes along the turf with unerring accuracy.He is the complete modern winger, a direct descendant of the legacy left by the likes of Messi and Andrés Iniesta, but forged in the 21st-century crucible of analytics and intense pressure. Topping this list is more than a personal accolade; it is a statement of intent. It tells every scout, every manager, and every fan that the next great creator of the beautiful game is already here, he’s wearing Blaugrana, and the future, quite literally, is being built at his feet.