Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Lamine Yamal

Spanish footballer (born 2007) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lamine Yamal
Remove ads

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Nasraoui and the second or maternal family name is Ebana.

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana[note 1] (born 13 July 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Known for his flair, chance creation, and long-distance curling goals, Yamal is regarded as one of the best players in the world.[2][3][4][5][6]

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...

Yamal was a member of the youth academy, La Masia, before breaking into the Barcelona first team squad in the 2023–24 season. He became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or (at age 17) and also won the Kopa Trophy in 2024, presented to the best young player in the world. In the following season, Yamal was integral to Barcelona winning a domestic treble of the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España.

Yamal has represented Spain internationally at various youth levels, and made his debut for the senior team in 2023, becoming the youngest player to represent and score for the country at age 16. He was selected for UEFA Euro 2024, playing an important role in helping Spain win their fourth title, while also winning the tournament's Young Player Award. He holds multiple records in his international career, including the youngest player to appear in a UEFA European Championship final (at age 17), the youngest player in a European Championship (at age 16), and the youngest goalscorer in a European Championship (at age 16).

Remove ads

Early and personal life

Summarize
Perspective

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana[7] was born on 13 July 2007 in Esplugues de Llobregat, in the Barcelona metropolitan area in Catalonia,[8] to waitress Sheila Ebana and building painter Mounir Nasraoui.[9] Yamal's mother was born in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, and his father is from Larache, Morocco.[10] They gave him a compound given name to honour two people, named Lamine and Yamal, who helped them financially shortly before their son was born.[11] Yamal is a Muslim.[12]

His parents separated when he was three, although both remained present through his childhood.[13] The family had lived in Mataró, but around the time of his parents' separation, Yamal's mother moved to Granollers, where Yamal started playing football at the local club La Torreta at the age of four.[14][15] He would alternate between both cities to spend time with his parents.[13] With his father in Mataró, Yamal grew up in Rocafonda, a neighbourhood described by El País as "forgotten, isolated and stigmatized"; he celebrates goals by making a gesture of the number 304, the last digits of the local postcode 08304. Following his success, his popularisation of the number has been credited with bringing pride and recognition to the working class community of Rocafonda.[16][17]

At six years of age, Yamal was scouted by Barcelona and was invited to training sessions at La Masia, signing for the club in 2014 moving to Barcelona to live and train at the academy.[9][18] Growing up, Yamal's footballing idols were Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and Neymar.[19]

In July 2025, Spain's Ministry of Social Rights asked the country's prosecutor's office to investigate Yamal, after it was alleged that he had hired several people with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party.[20]

Family

Yamal has a younger half-brother named Keyne (born 2022) and a younger sister named Baraa.[21][22] Away from football, on 14 August 2024, Yamal's father was stabbed in a car park in Mataró;[23] his injuries were minor, and he was discharged from hospital three days later. Police arrested four people involved in the attack.[24][25]

Remove ads

Club career

Summarize
Perspective

Youth career

Growing up through the youth ranks of La Masia, Yamal was soon viewed as one of the academy's best prospects.[18] Initially added to the Juvenil A team – already above his age grade – for the 2022–23 season,[26] Yamal was selected by Xavi to train with the first team along with other youngsters in early September 2022.[8][27] While still yet to sign his first professional contract with the club, he appeared to be one of the academy members to most impress the coach.[28][29]

Yamal made his first-team debut on 29 April 2023, replacing Gavi in the 83rd minute of a 4–0 victory against Real Betis in La Liga, in which he registered a shot on target and became the fifth youngest player in La Liga's history at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old,[30] and the youngest to appear for Barcelona's first team since the 15-year-old Armando Sagi in 1922, over a century before.[31] He won his first title with Barça on 14 May 2023, having been part of the squad that won the 2022–23 La Liga,[32] but missed the title celebration the following week due to international duty with Spain.[33]

2023–24: First team breakthrough

Although he remained on the Barcelona Atlètic squad throughout the season,[34] Yamal earned his first start for the club on 20 August 2023 in a 2–0 victory over Cádiz at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.[35][36] His first start was met with a standing ovation as he was subbed off with five minutes left in the game.[37] In his next starting appearance, Yamal was named man of the match after contributing towards two goals scored by Gavi and Robert Lewandowski in a 4–3 victory over Villarreal on 28 August.[38][39] He was named the inaugural U23 Player of the Month for August as a result of his performances.[40] On 19 September, Yamal made his Champions League debut in a 5–0 victory over Royal Antwerp.[41] On 2 October, Yamal extended his contract with Barcelona until 2026, with a buyout clause of €1 billion.[42] Two days later, he started in his first match of the Champions League against Porto.[43] On 8 October, Yamal scored his first goal for the first team in a 2–2 away draw to Granada and made his first El Clásico appearance as a substitute in a 2–1 loss at home on 28 October.[44][45] On 4 December, Yamal was given the inaugural Golden Boy The Youngest trophy, which is awarded to the youngest player nominated for the Golden Boy award.[46][47] Subsequently, on the ceremony day, Yamal was not present due to school.[48]

On 11 January 2024, Yamal scored in a 2–0 win over Osasuna in the semi-final of the Supercopa de España, becoming the youngest player to score in the Supercopa, at 16 years and 182 days.[49] Yamal then played the last 29 minutes of the final against Real Madrid on 14 January.[50] Two weeks later, on 25 January, he scored in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals against Athletic Bilbao in an eventual 4–2 loss after extra time, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition's history.[51] On 11 February, Yamal scored his first brace in a 3–3 draw against Granada, earning the man of the match.[52] In the 2023–24 season, Barcelona finished second in La Liga and ended their Champions League run at the quarter-finals after being knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain, against whom Yamal registered an assist in the second leg, which they lost 4–1.[53][54]

At 16 years of age, Yamal broke several records for Barcelona during the season, making 50 appearances in all competitions.[55] In La Liga, Yamal became the youngest starter for Barcelona,[35] the youngest player to record an assist,[56] the youngest to score for Barcelona and in La Liga,[57][58] the youngest player to feature for Barcelona in El Clásico,[45][59] and the youngest player to score a brace in La Liga and first player ever to achieve this record under the age of 17.[60] He also became the youngest player to register more than ten goal contributions in La Liga at 16 years and 213 days.[61] In the Champions League, Yamal became the second youngest player to feature in the cup (behind Youssoufa Moukoko),[41] the youngest player named in a starting line-up,[43] and the youngest player to play in the knockout phase.[62]

2024–25: Domestic double

In the first match of the 2024–25 La Liga season on 18 August, Yamal assisted Lewandowski to help Barcelona equalize against Valencia in a 2–1 win.[63] In the following match against Athletic Bilbao on 24 August, Yamal scored his first goal of the season in another 2–1 victory.[64] On 19 September, Yamal scored his first Champions League goal, scoring an equalizer in a 2–1 loss to Monaco in the Champions League league phase, becoming the second youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days, behind teammate Ansu Fati, who scored at 17 years and 40 days in October 2020.[65][66] On 26 October, at the age of 17 years and 105 days, Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in El Clásico history when he scored the third goal in a 4–0 victory against Real Madrid, surpassing the record of Fati who did so at the age of 17 years and 359 days in October 2020. During the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, Yamal and his teammates Fati and Raphinha were targeted with racial abuse by a group of home supporters.[67][68] On 30 April, Yamal made his 100th appearance for the club in the Champions League semi-final first-leg against Inter Milan. He scored the first goal in a 3–3 draw and was praised by Inter manager Simone Inzaghi, who called Yamal "a phenomenon born every 50 years."[69]

On 11 May 2025, Yamal played a pivotal role in Barcelona's 4–3 comeback victory over Real Madrid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. After trailing 0–2, due to an early brace from Kylian Mbappé, Barcelona responded with goals from Eric García, Yamal, and a brace by Raphinha. Yamal's goal, a curling shot into the bottom corner, levelled the score at 2–2 and was instrumental in shifting the momentum of the match.[70] The victory marked Barcelona's fourth consecutive Clásico win of the season and brought them within one win of clinching the La Liga title.[71] At 17 years old, Yamal's performances during the season led to widespread claims by pundits and players that he is the best player in the world.[2][3][4][5] He is often debated as one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or for the 2024–25 season.[72]

2025–26: Inheriting number 10

On 27 May 2025, Yamal agreed to his first long-term contract with Barcelona, tying him to the club until 30 June 2031 and to be signed upon his eighteenth birthday.[73][74] The Athletic reported that Yamal's contract could potentially reach a value of $45.3m per year gross, including wages, bonuses and contract fees, making him one of Barcelona's top-paid players.[75] On 16 July, at the contract signature event, Yamal was presented with Barcelona's number 10 shirt, which had been vacated upon Ansu Fati's loan to Monaco.[76]

Remove ads

International career

Summarize
Perspective

Catalonia

Yamal represented the youth sections of the Catalonia national football team from a young age, and became captain when he was 11 years old. He was captain throughout his time playing for the under-12, under-14 and under-16 teams.[77][78]

In November 2022, Yamal scored an impressive solo goal in a match against Castile and León,[79] and later that month he converted a penalty, provided the assist for Catalonia's second goal, and received a red card in a 2–2 draw with Aragon that sent Catalonia through to the "Fase d'Or" of the 2022–23 Spanish regional team championship.[78] Yamal was not called up to the squad for the Fase d'Or in 2023.[80]

Spain

Lamine Yamal during an event in Shanghai, China.

Yamal was a youth international for Spain,[81] having played for the Spanish U15 and U16 squads.[27][82] In 2023, he represented Spain's U17 side in the 2023 European U17 Championship with Yamal scoring four goals during the tournament.[83] Spain went all the way to the semi-finals where they were knocked out by France following a 3–1 defeat.[84]

At the age of 16 years and 50 days, Yamal received his first senior international call-up on 1 September 2023 by coach Luis de la Fuente for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Cyprus,[85][86] and made his senior debut against the former opponent on 8 September 2023, scoring in the 74th minute of a 7–1 victory.[87] At the age of 16 years and 57 days old, he became the youngest player and goalscorer for Spain, breaking records held by Gavi who debuted aged 17 years, 62 days and scored aged 17 years, 304 days.[88] Apart from this, Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in a Euro qualifying match, overtaking Welsh footballer Gareth Bale who scored at the age of 17 years, 83 days old.[87][89] Yamal was recalled to the Spanish squad in October 2023 for the remaining Euro qualifying matches against Scotland and Norway.[90][91] Spain won both matches to qualify for Euro 2024.[92]

On 7 June 2024, Yamal was selected in the 26-man squad for the tournament.[93] On 15 June, he made his debut in the European Championship against Croatia, becoming the youngest player to feature in the tournament, aged 16 years and 338 days, breaking the previous record of Poland's Kacper Kozłowski.[94] During the match against Croatia he also became the youngest player to provide an assist, setting up Dani Carvajal's goal in a 3–0 victory.[95] In the round of 16 match against Georgia, he became the youngest player to feature in the knockout phase, breaking Jude Bellingham's record, in addition to providing another assist in a 4–1 victory.[96]

Yamal again provided a vital assist against Germany in a 2–1 quarter-final win, and tied a Spanish record for having three assists in the same edition of the European Championship (after Cesc Fàbregas in 2008, David Silva in 2012 and Dani Olmo in 2020).[97] He scored Spain's first goal in the 2–1 semi-final victory against France on 9 July, with a curling strike from outside the penalty area, which won goal of the tournament.[98] He became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Euros four days before his 17th birthday,[99] and more than a year younger than the previous record holder Johan Vonlanthen.[100] At the end of Euro 2024, Yamal was named Young Player of the Tournament.[101] Spain's 2–1 victory against England in the Euro 2024 final made him the youngest player to win the Euros.[102][103] He assisted fellow winger Nico Williams for Spain's first goal in the final, subsequently becoming the youngest player to register a goal involvement in a major tournament final and becoming joint holder for the most assists in a single euro tournament with four assists.[104]

In the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals, Yamal scored two goals – including his first professional career penalty – in a 5–4 semi-final victory against France.[105]

Remove ads

Style of play and achievement

Summarize
Perspective

A left-footed forward with elite dribbling, excellent passing and chance-creating abilities, Yamal is able to play either as a centre-forward, an attacking midfielder or a winger, notably on the right flank.[8] As a right-winger, the majority of the time he likes to play with his left foot; he also has the ability to play outswinging crosses to the far post.[106][107] His ability to produce accurate crosses with the outside of his foot (known as a trivela) has become one of the trademarks of his game.[108]

Yamal had a notable performance in the UEFA Euro 2024, scoring a goal against France in the semi-finals and providing a total of four assists against Croatia, Georgia, Germany, and England.[104] In this tournament, Yamal showcased his proficiency in creating chances by putting crosses towards the far-post, as well as his shot-taking and curling ability from distance.[101]

With his technical profile, Yamal was compared to former Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi, like many La Masia products before him.[8] Yamal has also cited former Barcelona player Neymar as a major influence on his own playing style.[109] He has been described by media sources as being the best young footballer in the world;[110][111][112] some media outlets have praised him as the best teenage footballer ever.[113][114]

Remove ads

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 May 2025[115]
More information Club, Season ...
  1. Appearances in Primera Federación play-offs
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. Appearances in Supercopa de España

International

As of match played 8 June 2025[116]
More information National team, Year ...
As of match played 8 June 2025.
Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Yamal goal.[116]
More information No., Date ...
Remove ads

Honours

Summarize
Perspective

Barcelona

Spain

Individual

Remove ads

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Spanish pronunciation: [laˈmiɲ ɟʝaˈmal nasˈraɣwi eˈβana, -ɣwj -], Catalan pronunciation: [ləˈmin jəˈmal nəzˈrawi əˈβanə].

References

External links

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads