Lamine Yamal’s origin: From Rocafonda’s Streets to La Masia’s Golden Boy

Barcelona’s starboy Lamine Yamal was born on July 13, 2007, in Mataró, Spain, in the neighbourhood of Rocafonda. Lamine was born in a very diverse family, with his father being Moroccan and his mother of Equatorial Guinea origin. The youngster has flags of both these countries on his boots.

Baptized by the GOAT

A few months after Lamine was born, in October 2007, FC Barcelona and UNICEF partnered for a charity event. A young Leo Messi was selected to participate in the event, where he had to take photos with a bathing baby. The baby, it turns out, was Lamine Yamal, whose family was selected randomly. Blessed by the greatest of all time, Lamine was already destined for greatness.

Lamine Yamal and Messi
Messi bathing a baby Lamine Yamal (The Washington Post)

Humble Beginnings

Lamine was a humble and talented kid who always had a gift when it came to dribbling. His talent did not go unnoticed, and he eventually started playing for CF La Torreta’s youth team. In 2014, Barcelona scouts discovered a 7-year-old Lamine Yamal and instantly recognized his potential after he was called up to play a game for them. Lamine Yamal became part of the prestigious academy La Masia, and since then, he has only gone up.

Lamine Yamal CF La Torreta
A toddler Lamine Yamal celebrates a trophy with his team CF La Torreta (Marca.com)

Climbing through the ranks of La Masia

In just his second year at La Masia, Lamine scored 56 goals in 30 games, displaying his special talent. In an interview with ESPN, ex La Masia coach Albert Puig said, “I coached Lamine with the U9s and later with the U13s,” Puig told ESPN. “What surprised me most with him is not that he was already a lot better than the rest of his teammates in both age groups, but that as time as passed, rather than things balancing out, which usually happens, Lamine stood out even more.” Lamine was even allowed to stay at La Masia’s residency despite being not from Catalonia.

Lamine Yamal La Masia highlights (FC Barcelona on YouTube)

Xavi Hernández calls up the Golden Boy

Lamine had impressive performances at the La Liga promises tournament, where he was the player of the tournament, scoring 7 goals. For U17 Spain, he continued to shine with a wonder goal vs France. A similar goal, he went on to score against France in the Euros semifinal.

Xavi wusste, dass der Junge etwas Besonderes war, und rief ihn zum Training der ersten Mannschaft, als er gerade 15 Jahre alt war. Lamine wartete geduldig auf seine Chance, und sie kam schließlich am 29. April 2023, als Lamine erst 15 Jahre, 9 Monate und 16 Tage alt war. Barca führte 4:0 gegen Real Betis und Xavi sah darin die perfekte Gelegenheit, die junge Sensation vorzustellen. So wurde Lamine Yamal in der 83. Minute unter dem Beifall der Culers für Gavi eingewechselt. In den 11 Minuten, die er hatte, beeindruckte Lamine alle, indem er fast ein Tor schoss und Dembele assistierte.

Das Debüt von Lamine Yamal in der ersten Mannschaft (FC Barcelona auf YouTube)

Lamine Yamal went on to become an absolute star for Barcelona and for Spain, leading them to a Euro title at just 17 years of age. A future Ballon d’Or winner, and the future of not just Barcelona and Spain but of football itself. Lamine Yamal is on the track to become one of the greatest players of all time.

Lamine Yamal Euro
Lamine Yamal posing with the Euro trophy (Catalan News)
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