Lamine Yamal has climbed to football’s highest stardom even though he is a teenager. People often credit the incredible talent the youngster has as the reason behind his success at such a young age. However, there is something else besides his flair and skills that sets him apart from other players: Football IQ. Lamine Yamal is an extremely intelligent player, particularly for his age.
Lamine Yamal’s underrated asset: His brain
In my opinion, what separates a player who has potential to be world-class from a player who is world-class is their decision-making. While kids his age are still developing their game understanding and IQ, Lamine Yamal makes decisions on the pitch like a veteran. The teenager knows exactly when to take defenders on and when to pass the ball back. He knows when to cut inside and when to go wide, when to shoot and when to pass for an assist. Considering these characteristics, explains why the youngster has been an undisputable starter for Barcelona and Spain. These are the reasons Lamine has the incredible numbers this season (18 goals and 21 assists) as a teenager.
Room for improvement in decision-making?
Despite being ahead in the game’s understanding than almost every youngster, there is still a lot for Lamine Yamal to learn and experience. Experience is vital in shaping a footballer’s decisions, and despite his achievements, Lamine Yamal still has a lot to experience. The teenager sometimes rushes into decisions, which results in losing possession. The most important example of this is him losing possession against Inter in the semifinal 2nd leg after Barça took the lead through Raphinha. The better decision would have been to take the ball to the corner flag and try to kill time or to pass it back, so Barça can retain possession and protect the lead.
What does the future look like for Lamine
As Lamine Yamal’s career progresses, he will gain more and more experience with Barcelona and Spain. This will evolve his understanding of the game and improve his already elite decision-making. In my opinion, Lamine Yamal will be one of the best players in the history of this sport, and a big reason behind it will be his elite footballing IQ.
