Born to a waitress and building painter, 17-year old Spanish football prodigy Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana has all the makings of the best-ever football (soccer) player.
Yamal started playing football (soccer) at age 4, was scouted by FC Barcelona at age 6 and shortly thereafter began training with the Team’s youth academy, La Masia.
La Masia was founded in 1979 by Johan Cruyff, the legendary Dutch FC Barcelona coach (1988-1996). His goal was to create a youth academy that would nurture young talent. Originally located in a farmhouse next to Camp Nou (the home of FC Barcelona), La Masia has become a cornerstone of FC Barcelona’s success, producing world-class players like Lionel Messi (seen in video below at age 13 when he joined La Masia), Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
At La Masia, players progress through several stages of development, starting from Prebenjamin and Benjamin (U6-U9), focusing on basic skills and teamwork, to Alevin and Infantil (U10-U-13) and Cadete and Juvenil (U14-U19), where youngsters fine-tune their technical abilities and tactics. After excelling in youth leagues, players join Barcelona Atletic (the B team) to transition to professional football (soccer), before potentially earning a spot in the first team. Successful graduates often go on to represent both FC Barcelona and the Spain National Team. And that’s exactly what "El Pequeño Mágico" (The Little Magician aka Lamine Yamal) did. Just 17 years old, Yamal has been honing his craft for 11 years already.
Yamal debuted for FC Barcelona at age 15, becoming the Club’s youngest-ever player. He also holds the record for being the youngest scorer at any European Championship match or World Cup, surpassing Pelé's long-standing record, achieved when he equalized the score for Spain during the Euro 2024 semi-final against France. After winning the match, Spain went on to win the Euro 2024 Championship against England.
Yamal’s numerous other individual accomplishments in 2024 include the following:
- Kopa Trophy (2024): Recognized as the world's best player under 21
- UEFA Euro 2024 Young Player of the Tournament: Awarded for his standout performances with Spain
- UEFA Euro 2024 Goal of the Tournament: For his remarkable strike against France in the semi-finals
- Golden Boy (2024): Honored as Europe's top young talent
- IFFHS Men's World's Best Youth Player (2024): Named the world's best young male footballer
- La Liga U23 Player of the Season (2023–24): Crowned the best under-23 player in Spain
- Globe Soccer Awards – Emerging Player (2024): Honored in both Europe and Dubai editions
Proud of his upbringing, Yamal can be seen signing “304”, which represents the last 3 digits of the postal code for the Rocafonda neighborhood in Mataró where he spent much of his childhood. This act has become a symbol of pride for the humble, largely immigrant community, where half of the population is at risk of poverty.
“Lamine has put Rocafonda on the map. For its residents, he is more than a soccer player: he is a symbol of progress, future and hope. Before this, everyone wanted to be like Messi. Now, in Rocafonda at least, everyone wants to be Lamine.” (EL PAÍS)
It has been reported that Yamal will sign a new contract with FC Barcelona when he reaches age 18 in July, and it will be very handsome, indeed. The teenager’s current annual salary at FC Barcelona is approximately $1.7 million, which translates to roughly $155,000 per month. His contract includes a $1.1 billion buyout clause. Could the Saudi’s snatch him away? You can bet they’ll try.
My guess is that the left-hander who predominantly kicks with his left foot (like his idol Lionel Messi) will stick close to home, where he is surrounded by friends and family … including his Teta’s (grandmother’s) home-made sweets. That support is equally as important as his football (soccer) training. Let’s hope he keeps smiling because, as you can see, he has a gorgeous smile.
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