Lamine Yamal is a story of rapid progress and impressive achievements. A generational talent who is known for his daring dribbling, exceptional speed, technical skills, and versatility.
Early life and family background of Lamine Yamal:
Yamal, whose full name is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, was born on July 13, 2007, in Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain. His father, Mounir Nasraoui, a building painter, is from Larache, Morocco, while his mother, Sheila Ebana, a waitress, originates from Equatorial Guinea.
The young sensation is proud of his background as he wears the flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea on his boots.
Following his parents’ separation when he was three years old, Yamal moved with his mother to Granollers. There, he began his football journey at the age of four with CF La Torreta. At the same time, he used to spend time at his father’s place in Rocafonda, a working-class, multicultural neighbourhood of Mataro. His parents continue to support him to this day.
From Cadete to Juvenil A: Lamine Yamal’s fast-tracked progress at Barcelona
Joining La Masia at the age of seven:
Lamine Yamal joined FC Barcelona’s youth academy La Masia at the age of seven, moving from his local club La Torreta. He advanced rapidly through the age categories, even surpassing other kids who lived on site at the academy, where his diet, rest, and training schedules were closely monitored because they had recognized something special in him.
Transition from Cadete (U16) to Juvenil (U19):
Before Yamal was fast-tracked to Barcelona’s senior team and Spain’s national squad, he had to make one of the toughest steps in La Masia’s youth system, moving from Cadete (U16) to Juvenil (U19).
Usually, cadete players spend two or more years in Juvenil before moving to the B team; however, Yamal skipped the typical two to three seasons, making it straight to the Juvenil A (U19) from Cadete A (U16) while still only 15.
Adapting to the age group and demands:
Oscar Lopez, a former Barca player who was coaching Barcelona’s Juvenil A side, or U19s at the time, described the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign as a crucial phase in Yamal’s career, as he had to adapt to the age group, level, and the demands of playing alongside older teammates.
“That year was a very good process that I had to take him through in terms of acclimatisation to the age group, to the level, to the demands. Because it’s not the same playing as a cadete for the U16s, even if you are playing up a year, as he was, to being 15 years old and playing against boys of 20 in the UEFA Youth League,” Lopez said.
“So, we had to do a process of adaptation with him in which he saw that everything is progressive and has its evolution, and that he needed time to acclimatise, even though he had that innate talent that he is demonstrating right now at the Euros.”
He further remarked that the procedure involved various aspects and shed light on Lamine Yamal’s hard work.
“The process covered many different aspects, mentally, emotionally, and physically. He was a 15-year-old boy playing against boys five years older. On an emotional level, all of that could have broken him,” Lopez added.
“On the pitch, he progressively got more minutes, but that was a result of having to work hard, not because he was 15 and everyone was saying he was a very good player. He had to earn those minutes.”
Lamine Yamal: Smashing records left, right and centre
La Masia produced stars like Ronaldinho Gaucho, Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta. Now it was the time for the world to witness the birth of a new star and an era.
By looking at his talent and skills, Lamine Yamal was called by Barcelona coach at the time, Xavi, to train with the first team, despite having barely played for the U19s.
Barcelona and La Liga Records of Lamine Yamal:
At the age of 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days in April 2023, Yamal became the youngest player to ever debut for Barcelona’s first team since 1922 in a 4-0 victory against Real Betis in La Liga.
Xavi was stunned by the talent of Lamine, praising him after the match.
“I haven’t seen a player like this at this age since Messi,” Xavi said after the match.
Yamal continued his stay at the first team for Barcelona’s preseason in 2023/24 despite being registered with the B squad following a successful 2022/23 campaign.
There was a time when the Catalan club was struggling, as Ansu Fati, who was once regarded as a replacement for Messi, was out due to injuries, and Ousmane Dembele left for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), leaving a vacuum on the left wing.
Xavi was exploring his squad, and one name stood out with his performances: Lamine Yamal.
On 20th August 2023, Yamal made his first-ever start for Barcelona in a 2–0 victory over Cadiz, becoming the youngest ever at the age of 16 years and 28 days to start a La Liga match.
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He did not stop there and went on to become the youngest assist provider at 16 years and 45 days on August 27, 2023, setting up Gavi against Villarreal in a 4-3 victory.
Following that, he became the youngest scorer in La Liga on 8 October 2023 (age 16 years and 87 days) during Barcelona’s 2–2 draw against Granada.
Lamine also set the record of the youngest goalscorer in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
Lamine Yamal’s Champions League records:
Now, move on to UEFA Champions League, where Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to ever debut for FC Barcelona at the age of 16 years and 68 days, coming in as a substitute in a 5-0 win over Royal Antwerp at Montjuic on September 19, 2023.
Then Yamal also became the youngest ever starter in the Champions League, aged 16 years and 83 days old on October 4, 2023, against Porto in a close 1-0 win.
Breakout 2023/24 season of Lamine Yamal:
In the 2023/24 season, Yamal broke numerous records for Barcelona, becoming the youngest player to make 50 appearances for the first team, in which he scored seven goals for Xavi’s side. Following a stellar season for both club and country, in October 2024, the winger won the Kopa Trophy for the best U23 player award at the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris.
Lamine Yamal under Hansi Flick:
In the 2024/25 season under Hansi Flick, Lamine Yamal was at his best, scoring 18 goals and providing 21 assists, helping his side to secure a domestic treble, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup. Setting records right, left, and centre, he also became the youngest to reach 100 appearances for Blaugranes and the youngest ever to net the ball in a Clasico.
Making history: Lamine Yamal’s performances for Spain National team
In August 2023, Yamal was added to the Spain national team squad by manager Luis de la Fuente.
At the time the Spanish team was playing UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers, his inclusion was the reward for his performances at Barcelona and his commitment to Spain, as he was also eligible to play for Morocco.
Lamine made his debut for Spain’s senior team against Georgia on September 8, 2024, in a 7-1 win in a Euro 2024 qualifier. He also scored in that match, becoming the youngest goalscorer on debut.
At the age of 16 years and 57 days old, Yamal also grabbed the record of the youngest ever to debut for Spain.
Record-breaking Euro 2024:
Euro 2024 was a record-breaking tournament for Lamine Yamal. He started a game against Croatia to become the youngest player ever to play in the European Championships at the age of 16 years and 338 days.
The winger also became the youngest ever player to register an assist in a Euros.
However, Yamal’s career-defining moment came against France in the semi-final, where Spain were one goal down, but the young man stood up and equalised, becoming the youngest ever player to score in a Euro at 16 years 362 days old on July 10, 2024.
He also claimed the record of the youngest player to appear in the European Championship final against England, where he provided an assist and also became the youngest to register a goal contribution in a Euro final.
After helping Spain win the Euro 2024, Yamal became the youngest player ever to win the European Championship, clinching the Young Player of the Tournament award, and went on to win the 2024 Golden Boy Award.
Performance in UEFA Nations League 2025:
Yamal also helped his team reach the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2025, where he scored two goals in the semi-final against France in a 5-4 win. Unfortunately, they lost the final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
From the streets of Mataro to La Masia and now at the grandest international level, Lamine Yamal’s journey has been a collection of records, milestones, and some world-class performances.
But this is just a start for the prodigy; there are two paths ahead of him, either to become one of the game’s all-time greats or risk fading into the background like Ansu Fati and others, who were once considered the future of football.
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