Here’s all you need to know about Lamine Yamal, who recently made headlines by becoming Barcelona’s youngest-ever LaLiga player.
The Bluagrana supporters always looked forward to the promotion of an academy player, as has been the case with Barcelona for a few years.
Thanks to La Masia’s outstanding youth program, Barcelona has produced players like current coach Xavi, former Spanish teammate Andres Iniesta, and Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi who have gone on to become modern-day legends of the round-leather game.
The most recent player to capture the attention of Camp Nou officials is Lamine Yamal, a 15-year-old forward.
Among the most famous athletes to graduate from La Masia are Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta.
Yamal made headlines this past weekend when Barcelona defeated Real Betis 4-0, and he became the club’s youngest player to compete in LaLiga in the twenty-first century.
Lamine Yamal is the newest Barcelona player to make his LaLiga debut in the twenty-first century.
We’ll review the top 7 things about Barcelona’s newest wonderkid in this article.
The wonderkid from Barcelona, called the “Next Messi,” 7 things to know
1. Lamine Yamal was born in Spain but has African ancestry.
Yamal, Lamine 7 things to know about the 15-year-old wonder child from Barcelona
On July 13, 2007, Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana was born in Mataró, Spain, to an Equatorial Guinean mother and a Moroccan father. But Barcelona was where he spent the majority of his youth.
2. In 2022, Lamine Yamal drew Xavi’s attention.
Yamal rose through the La Masia young ranks and was immediately considered one of the academy’s top prospects.
Yamal was chosen by Xavi to train with the first squad for the first time in early September 2022, along with another youngster, despite being added to the Juvenil A team for the 2022–23 season above his age grade.
He seemed to be the member of the Barcelona academy who most impressed the legendary Blaugrana coach.
3. Lamine Yamal began his career as a striker when he was younger.
Although Yamal spent his early years playing as a striker in seven-a-side teams before switching to a wider position later in life, he is primarily a left-footed right winger.
Lamine Yamal Yamal, a 15-year-old wonder youngster for Barcelona, is at home anywhere along the front line but shines on the right side, where he can fully utilize his dribbling abilities.
In fact, across all age categories, scouts rank Yamal as the top dribbler in the Barcelona academy.
4. Lamine Yamal is Barcelona’s youngest player to play in La Liga
In the twenty-first century Yamal, who is 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, came off the bench to replace La Masia graduate Gavi in the 83rd minute of Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Real Betis in La Liga.
5. Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi have been compared by Xavi.
Lamine Yamal has been compared by Xavi Hernandez to Lionel Messi.
Xavi showered Yamal with plaudits after his first-team debut in Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Real Betis, praising the youngster for his initiative and self-assurance.
I advised him to experiment, and he did. Imagine being 15 years old at the time. He is unique, and tonight he might have even scored, but Silva made a stop.
Lamine Yamal, 15, makes history as the youngest player to make his Barça debut in the twenty-first century! April 29, 2023, FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona
He displayed his character and played with assurance. He is fearless and extremely talented. After the game, Xavi was quoted as saying, “Some of his passes in the final third were really good.”
Additionally, Xavi said that Lionel Messi, the illustrious Argentine who plays for Barcelona, and his “innate talent” are comparable.
He and other players who possess a rare intrinsic knack for the last third are similar.
Lamine strikes me as being much older than his age of fifteen. He is well-trained and prepared to play. As a member of this team, he can usher in a new era at the club.
Nearly four years prior to Yamal’s birth, in November 2003, Messi made his first-team Barca debut at the age of 16.
6. Barcelona has not yet signed Lamine Yamal
Yamal’s 16th birthday (in three months) will have to pass before Barcelona can extend him a professional contract and guarantee his future.
The 15-year-old wonderkid of Barcelona, Lamine Yamal, has not yet signed a professional contract with the club.
Lamal may possibly decide to go if he so chooses because Bayern Munich, a powerhouse in the Bundesliga, is apparently interested.
However, Barca is still confident that they will be able to sign him when he reaches legal age in a few months.
7. Despite having Spanish ancestry, Lamine Yamal can still represent Morocco in international soccer.
Yamal can still represent all three nations because he was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother.
Lamine Yamal is nonetheless still committed to playing for Spain at the Under-15 to Under-19 levels.
Lamine Yamal is still able to change his allegiance to a different national team, though, as he has not yet made his senior debut.
Rabie Takassa, a scout for the Moroccan national team, told Cadena SER that “everyone talks about him and wonders if we are going to “steal him’ from Spain.”
He is one of the best academy football wingers I have ever seen in terms of skill, vision of the game, and eye for goal.
Yamal may be persuaded to play for the Atlas Lions by Morocco, but the World Cup semi-finalists insist that it is ultimately his choice.