Mayssa Baha: The 15-year-old who broke Lamine Yamal's record

She received an offer from Barcelona through Facebook. Three years later, Mayssa Baha is breaking records for the club's first team. Meet the Spanish-Moroccan teenager taking Liga F by storm.

At just 15 years old, Mayssa Baha is already making history at FC Barcelona. The Spanish-Moroccan forward made her senior debut on the opening day of the 2026/27 Liga F season, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the competition at 15 years, seven months and 14 days, breaking the record previously held by Vicky López.

On 26 September, Baha scored against Logroño United to become the youngest goalscorer in Barcelona's history across both the men's and women's teams, as well as in the history of Spain's women's top flight. At 15 years, eight months and 10 days, she surpassed the club record previously held by Lamine Yamal, who scored his first senior goal at 16 years, two months and 25 days.

Barcelona already have an impressive generation of young talents, including Clara Serrajordi, Aïcha Camara and Vicky López, who almost seems like a veteran despite being just 20. But Baha's arrival suggests another exciting talent is emerging at La Masia.

Football runs in the family

Baha was born in Málaga into a footballing family. Her father, Nabil Baha, is a former professional footballer who represented several Spanish clubs, including Málaga and Ponferradina.

With both Spanish and Moroccan nationality, Mayssa has represented Morocco at youth level, including at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup. However, she remains eligible to represent Spain at senior level.

Her older brother, Ziyad, has also followed in their father's footsteps. Two years older than Mayssa, he spent time in Málaga's youth academy before moving to Olympique de Marseille. He has also represented Morocco and won the U17 Africa Cup of Nations under the guidance of his father, who coached the national team.

From street football to La Masia

Like many young footballers, Mayssa's journey began in the street, playing alongside her brother. But football was not necessarily the path her father had imagined for her.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper Diario Sur, Nabil revealed that he had initially wanted his daughter to pursue tennis, a sport in which she also showed considerable talent. 

After the family moved to Morocco in 2014, Mayssa joined FUS Rabat, balancing her education with training and matches. With no girls' youth teams available at the time, she played alongside boys who were two or three years older than her.

Despite the age difference, she quickly stood out. Her performances impressed those around her, and everyone wanted her on their team.

Her talent eventually caught the attention of Barcelona during a tournament with the Andalusian regional team. Among those watching were Sonia Bermúdez, now Spain's national team manager, and Jordi Ventura, Barcelona's youth academy director.

Not long afterwards, Nabil received an unexpected message on Facebook. A Barcelona scout had contacted him to express the club's interest in signing his daughter.

A rapid rise through Barcelona's ranks

Baha joined La Masia three years ago and has progressed rapidly through Barcelona's youth system. She began with the Cadete team before moving up to Juvenil level, while also gaining experience with Barcelona's B and C teams. Last season, she scored an extraordinary 39 goals for the reserve side, making a senior breakthrough increasingly difficult to ignore.

Now, at just 15, she has already made her first-team debut, broken records previously held by Vicky López and Lamine Yamal, and announced herself as one of Barcelona's most exciting young prospects.