In a bakery in Rocafonda — a neighbourhood in Mataro, a city up the coast from Barcelona — a replica of the World Cup looks slightly out of place alongside the pastries.
“That’s for when my nephew wins the World Cup,” the owner, Abdul, told ESPN.
Abdul’s nephew only turned 16 in July, so you would be forgiven for thinking he was getting carried away, except his nephew is no ordinary 16-year-old. His nephew is the Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, who on Friday became the youngest ever player to represent Spain‘s senior side, sealing an impressive debut with a goal in a 7-1 win over Georgia.
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Lamine Yamal‘s first Spain cap was the latest milestone in what has already been a record-breaking year for the teenager. In April, he became the youngest player to play for Barça in LaLiga while he was still 15. A week later, he also became the youngest player to ever play for the club’s B team.
Everything accelerated from there. After scoring four goals at the European Under-17 Championship in May, as Spain lost to France in the semifinals, he spent July in the United States on Barça’s preseason tour. Upon the club’s return to Europe, he starred as a substitute in the Joan Gamper Trophy win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ousmane Dembélé‘s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and Raphinha‘s red card on the opening day of the season against Getafe then presented Yamal with an opportunity which he has grasped with both hands. Preferred to Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati, who has since left for Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, Yamal made his first Barça start in the second game of the campaign against Cadiz, and kept his place for the games at Villarreal, when he was named player of the match in a 4-3 win, and Osasuna. A first senior international callup followed.
Managing the spotlight is the challenge facing Yamal and Barça now. Dancing around Villarreal players at the end of August, it was easy to forget how young he was. When you see him smile, though, his braces staring at back you, he very much looks his age. As Roura reiterates time and again, too, he is still developing physically and it would be unwise to burden him with too many minutes.
Although it’s impossible to determine the exact reason for their injuries, both Ansu and Pedri‘s fledgling careers have suffered due to knocks picked up after playing a lot of games as teenagers. That should serve as a warning for Barça with Yamal, who was not even born when Messi scored his famous Diego Maradona-esque goal against Getafe in April 2007.
“Xavi knows the ins and outs of the game and I am sure he will be able to help Lamine consolidate himself among the elite at the right pace,” Roura said.
As for Yamal, sources at the club insist he has his head screwed on tight and his feet on the ground. Everyone you talk to in Rocafonda says there is nothing big time about him, although success can change people in time. There was one incident in February while with the Spain national team when several players were punished for a “serious act of indiscipline.” Yamal was one of those players. He missed one Spain squad prior to the U17 Euros and was also sanctioned internally by Barça, sitting out four games with the U19 team.
Since February, though, Yamal has actually clicked into another gear. A debut with Barça in April was followed by a first start in August. September has already brought a first-ever Spain appearance and a goal for the national team. Abdul’s replica World Cup might not be so out of place after all.
