Barcelona’s youngest superstar, Lamine Yamal, has got another accolade under his belt. The 17-year-old has won the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award and continued writing history. Of the three Laureus awards ever given to footballers, all three have been La Masia players. It’s another huge success, and let’s break it down.
The La Masia Academy is The Pride of Football
Many critics declared La Masia to be dead and finished after the Messi era came to a close. But Yamal’s exponential rise to success has silenced these keyboard warriors as the Barcelona academy has not stopped producing world-class talents. The Yamal era surely represents La Masia 2.0.
The Laureus Award is a remarkable achievement, as it is only given to specific individuals or teams who have shined throughout the year and attained distinction uniquely. It has only been handed thrice to football players, and after Yamal’s win, La Masia stars (Leo Messi and now Yamal) have won 3 out of the only three awards handed out to footballers in history. Special achievement!
Football’s Rising Stars Deserve More Than a ‘Breakthrough’ Side Award
Winning trophies and awards at a young age is always special. However, winning this particular award is even more special. This is because Laureus has a history of repeatedly handing their awards to tennis superstars and footballers have been highly left out. It’s refreshing to see footballers finally getting the credit they deserve.
One reason tennis stars mostly win this achievement is that it is an individual sport, and football is much more complex. Football transcends individuality and promotes teamwork. But when Messi won it in 2020 and 2023, it reflected the dominance of a player who not only highlights himself in just a team of XI but also the whole sports entertainment industry. Yamal, following Leo’s footsteps, is definitely on the right path.
Yamal’s Fearless Gameplay is a Victory for Creative Footballing Talents
Yamal winning the Laureus award gives so much confidence to young, creative talents who want to make their mark in football, but are scared to fail. Nowadays coaches kind of suppress players by giving them hard, rigid roles which kill their natural game. This achievement is not just a victory for Yamal, but also a win for youth.
Yamal’s gameplay thrives on fearless football. He is not scared to take on one, two or three defenders. This molds his teammates to also replicate him and work hard. Yamal takes on player a lot, and has a 100% percentile in successful dribbles (it means Yamal dribbles past defenders better than any player at his position). It’s phenomenal, brave and the reason why the youngster won this massive achievement at just 17.
Yamal’s victory is not just Barca and La Masia’s win; it’s a success for the footballing fraternity. Let’s hope he continues to shine and keeps achieving with Barcelona and Spanish colors.