Doing your final school exams is hard enough without nearly 50 million people putting their football dreams in you. Lamine Yamal is not aware of any differences.
Welcome to the world of Spain’s 16-year-old boy king, who strikes a balance between academic obligations and athletic success.
Yamal scored a stunning goal against France on Tuesday night, helping Spain advance to the Euro 2024 final, where they could meet England, less than two weeks after learning about his school results.
Scoring a late winner in PE is the pinnacle of many footballers’ careers. Yamal, dubbed a ‘genius’ by his management and reportedly cleaned as a baby by Lionel Messi, has larger fish to fry.
Just ask Barcelona, who are so determined to keep Yamal that his contract includes a provision asking £868 million from anyone who wants to buy him. So, who is Yamal, Messi’s prospective replacement who still wears braces?
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Lamine Yamal (left, pictured with father Mounir) is taking Euro 2024 by storm at 16 – and he could face England in the final
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He has had to do homework and complete his school exams while at the Euros with Spain
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Both flags of those boots are sewed into his custom boots, demonstrating that he has not forgotten his heritage.
He grew up in the family house at Rocafonda, a developed residential area around 20 miles up the coast north-east of Barcelona.
One thing that stands out is how supportive his family is. Following his miracle goal on Tuesday, his sister burst into tears in the stands in Munich, while his mother was seen embracing another family member.
Yamal’s uncle’s bakery now features a graffiti mural of him performing his typical goal celebration, which involves making the numerals three, zero, and four with his fingers to signify the Rocafonda 304 postcode.
The most information is available regarding his father. Mounir is 32 years old, making him younger than Yamal’s teammate Jesus Navas, 38, who played against France.
Mounir’s Instagram feed is packed with photos of Yamal playing for Spain and Barcelona, as well as several photos of them together on their travels. He is present at all of the important moments, living his dream through his son.
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Yamal underlines his strong roots to his hometown, forming the numbers three, zero and four with his fingers to represent the postcode of Rocafonda 304
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The 16-year-old wears boots that bear the flags of Equatorial Guinea and Morocco in tribute to his parents
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His celebration, with the numbers three, zero, and four, refers to his family home’s postcode
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His father labelled the images of Yamal and Messi ‘the beginning of two legends’.
Barcelona saw Yamal when he was seven years old. One glimpse was enough for the scout, and before he knew it, the boy was a member of the legendary La Masia programme, which has produced some of the best players in history.
His pictures are filled with appreciation, with descriptions like, ‘as a father and a person, I thank Lamine Yamal, thank you my son,’ and ‘thank you Lamine for making me the happiest dad’. He also began a live feed from the stadium during the match versus France, demonstrating his zeal and joy.
Yamal was bathed as a newborn by Barcelona hero Messi during a club calendar picture. Yamal’s father recently shared the shot on Instagram, labelling it the ‘beginning of two legends’.
Yamal made his Barcelona debut in April last year, at the age of 15 years and 290 days, making him the club’s youngest player in almost a century.
He has already played 54 games for the club and 13 for his country, totaling more over 3,000 minutes on the field last season.
His career has produced some bizarre full-circle moments. In 2016, Yamal was a mascot that held Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos’ hand in the tunnel before an El Clasico match.
Little did they know that Yamal, who had looked up at the defender with respect, would pressure him into an own goal and inflict misery on him in a 1-0 victory in 2023.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was so anxious about Morocco trying to sneak him away that he gave Yamal his debut last September, making him the youngest player to represent La Roja at 16 years and 57 days.
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His father, Mounir, regularly posts of his pride and gratitude and follows his son everywhere
