In Barcelona's minimalist win over Sevilla last weekend, Lamine Yamal attracted attention with a shot against Sergio Ramos, causing the veteran centre-back to score an own goal.Few people know that the two main characters in that goal met at El Clasico in the 2015-16 season.At that time, Sergio Ramos was playing for Real Madrid, he held the hand of young man Lamine Yamal (in the role of mascot) and stepped onto the field.
After 7 years, Ramos met Yamal again in an official match but in a very different situation.Lamine Yamal is no longer a boy at La Masia, he has become a star of the Barcelona first team.
On April 30, 2023, Barca beat Real Betis 4-0 and created an 11-point gap with Real Madrid in the La Liga rankings.In that match, Lamine Yamal was sent onto the field by Xavi at the end of the second half, becoming the youngest player to debut for the Barca first team since 2000 (15 years, 9 months, 16 days).
The decision to start a 15-year-old boy is not my wish or the coaching staffs wish, it is simply the result of Lamine Yamals own efforts.He has proven his ability and difference when he is on the pitch through passing, handling and making decisions" - Xavi shared.
Speed, technique and comprehensiveness are Spanish media reviews for Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old striker possesses the ability to dribble at high speed over short distances. This makes Yamal's ball- handling decisions unpredictable. Those skills that come with confidence have been cultivated by Yamal for many years. Before debuting for the Barca first team, this star tried his hand at the U16 team when he was only 13 years old and competed with the U19 team at the age of 15.
When debuting for the first team, Yamal was predicted to face many difficulties when competing with names in the same position such as Ousmane Dembele, Ferran Torres or Raphinha. However, Dembouz's arrival at PSG, or Raphinha's red card in the first round, opened the door for Lamine Yamal to play more often.
The impressive performance helped Lamine Yamal win the Best Player award in Barca's 4-3 victory over Villarreal. He has an average score of 7.3 after 8 matches in La Liga (according to SofaScore).
Subsequent impressive performances also helped Lamine Yamal be on the Spanish squad for the EURO 2024 qualifiers. Young talent La Masia continues to set a record, becoming the youngest player to debut and score for the Spanish national team at the age of 16 years and 57 days. Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo when scoring their first goal for the national teams are not at such a young level.
In the context of Barca still finding a solution to the debt repayment problem, the players of La Masia's "homegrown" players are a lifeline. Ansu Fati was brought to light by Ernesto Valverde at the age of 16, Alejandro Balde and Gavi were given the opportunity by Ronald Koeman at the age of 17, Lamine Yamal was Xavi's most interesting discovery.
How many players start playing in the first team of Europe's top clubs at the age of 16? How many of them have maintained their high form past the age of 30? No one, or at most one or two.
Lamine Yamal is truly different from his peers. The young players now have to face more pressure, from life, social networks... The boy deserves to have a childhood like any other child. Hopefully Yamal will balance his football playing and daily life well" - Robert Lewandowski shared about his junior.
Lewy's concerns are not unfounded. Ansu Fati - another star from La Masia who was very good at the moment but has just left the team to temporarily play for Brighton on loan. Debuting in the Barca first team at just 16 years and 298 days old, Fati was a young talent who inherited Messi's number 10 shirt. However, the continuous injuries have left Fati a shadow of himself. 9 injuries after 3 years haunted Fati and forced him to refuse to come for a fourth surgery.
Barcelona do not want to miss a second "Ansu Fati" for Lamine Yamal. Xavi and the coaching staff have a careful plan to protect the player's natural development and progress. The 16-year-old talent will be registered and competed alternately between the first and second teams, while continuing to learn culture at La Masia, to develop gradually like peers.
According to Mundo Deportivo's analysis, Yamal is still limited in participating in defense. When playing with the first team, participating in high-intensity defense can cause physical exhaustion and reduce the ability to attack. Therefore, Barca's physical team is always careful in analyzing physical parameters, so that Yamal can limit injuries, reduce excessive stress, and affect muscle development.
