Lamine Yamal has not only shone for Barcelona since his debut. The youngster has displayed his talent on the international stage with Spain, particularly at he 2024 Euros where he led Spain to be European champions. Lamine Yamal had a goal contribution in every knockout phase of the tournament. Dutch football legend Van der Vaart had criticised Lamine Yamal for wearing his shorts too low and not working hard enough on the pitch. Van der Vaart: “I noticed some things about Lamine Yamal that started to bother me a bit… His shorts were a bit too low, he didn’t try too hard, and he had some superficial gestures. If you’re so young, you should be happy for every minute you play for Spain. You have to show it.”
A similar situation to now occurred at the 2024 Euros. French player Adrien Rabiot made a bold statement regarding Lamine in the pre-match press conference before the semi-final of Spain vs France. âIf Lamine wants to play in the final, he will have to do more things than he has done so farâ. Lamine responded by posting a story before the match. âMove in silence, only speak when it’s time to say checkmate”. Lamine Yamal went on to score a wonder goal in the semi-final after dribbling Rabiot.
The star boy hits back again
Before the match, Lamine posted an Instagram story similar to the one before the semi-finals of the Euros vs. France. Throughout the clash against the Netherlands, Lamine Yamal tried his best to influence the game by providing an assist and even taking shots at the goal. However, in the 90 minutes played, the Star boy had no luck. Luckily for him, the match went to extra time. A beautiful ball over the top by another star boy, Dean Huijsen, allowed Yamal to be in a 1v1 situation. The 17-year-old cut inside with a chop and finished it beautifully past Bart Verbruggen. Lamine celebrated his goal in a unique fashion by lowering his shorts to mock Van der Vaart. Once again, Lamine Yamal displayed an elite mentality and confidence at such a tender age. Proving why he’s destined for greatness.
Does Lamine Yamal need to stay humble?
Lamine Yamal now has a tradition of posting stories before big games in response to his critics. Van der Vaart has joined the list of his victims now. However, should a kid who is just 17 years old talk this much? People often consider that young players should keep their heads down and keep working hard to establish a good career. Being too arrogant can make players lose focus and lead them to ruin themselves. Neymar Jr and Dele Alli are good examples of this. However, I think Lamine Yamal is an exception to this trend. The youngster doesn’t let these things affect his focus and hard work. Lamine Yamal is surely a future Ballon d’Or winner, the way he handles pressure and keeps on performing for both club and country.
