ANOTHER star turn at the Euros, ANOTHER coming of age performance.
Spain’s wonderkid Lamine Yamal, 16, has turned heads not just because of his tender years, but his outstanding ability.
Alongside Arsenal target Nico Williams, he has provided his country’s attacking threat from the wings – as they have slowly edged their way towards being the people’s favourites to lift the Euro 2024 crown.
It’s no wonder that PSG are considering smashing the previous world transfer record they set when they paid £199million for Neymar on the teenage sensation.
At just 15, Yamal made his debut for Barcelona in LaLiga – coming off the bench for a lively cameo.
In doing so, he became the Catalan giants’ youngest ever player this century.
And Yamal keeps on breaking the standards.
He is Spain’s youngest ever goalscorer, and the youngest player to play at the Euros in the 64-year history of the competition.
His story begins as a Barcelona native.
Born to a Moroccan father and Guinean mother, Yamal grew up in the suburb of Mataro.
He is fiercely proud of his roots – donning the flags of both of those countries on his Adidas F50 boots, the same worn by his idol Lionel Messi, who he has been compared to, and told GQ that the same people who call him the ‘next Messi’ are also likely to criticise him.
His mum and dad split when he was young, so he divided his time between two homes – using a train pass to get around.
However, a young Yamal was always drawn to his mother’s cooking – and his favourite dish, rice with peanut sauce.
A love of his grandma’s pastries is also another guilty pleasure.
Yamal was scouted by La Masia talent spotters at the age of just five.
Such was his talent early on, he would play for three age groups as his development was carefully managed.
The winger progressed through the ranks – standing out for the U16 side aged just 13.
He tore through the youth league with ease, with the club very aware of the unique talent they had on their hands.
In 2022, he skipped an entire age group to play for the U19 side, where he continued to blossom.
“He is always asking questions, he has a very good predisposition to evolve. You have to treat him calmly and not rush,” his former youth coach Oscar Lopez revealed.
By that point, ex-Barça boss Xavi deemed the prodigy good enough to train with the first team squad – integrating the generational talent into his sessions.
It was a matter of time when the LaLiga giants couldn’t hold Yamal back anymore and had to unleash him into the world.
On the 29 April, 2023, fans were given their first glimpse of Yamal as he made his debut for the club against Real Betis.
Aged just 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days he ran onto the pitch in the 83rd minute to replace another wonderkid, Gavi with the score at 4-0.
The wide forward became the youngest player to appear for Barcelona’s first team since the 15-year-old Armando Sagi in 1922, over a century before.
And he soon made an impact. In those limited minutes on the pitch, Yamal registered a shot at Betis’ goal.
He also would have had an assist, if not for better finishing from a teammate.
At the final whistle, his former coach’s words echoed what the fans saw.
“I told him to try things and he did,” Xavi said. “At 15 years old, just imagine it… He is special and he could have even scored tonight, but [Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva] saved.
“He played with confidence and he showed what he is about. He has no fear and bags of talent. Some of his passes in the final third were really good.”
The justified hype began.
Just a few months after setting the world alight, Spain made Yamal a full international.
He earned his first cap against Georgia in a 7-1 win back in September, finding the net in the rout.
Again, he made history. He is now La Roja’s youngest ever player and goalscorer at just 16 years and 57 days old.
Better still, he shattered Gareth Bale’s long-standing Euro qualifier record, who scored at the age of 17 years and 83 days old.
SPAIN’S team may not be a patch on the one that dominated world football 15 years ago - which had superstars coming out of its ears.
But they still topped a qualifying group consisting of Scotland and Erling Haaland’s Norway by winning nine out of ten games.
MANAGER: Luis de la Fuente
Surprise choice as coach but won the Under-21 Euros in 2019 and an Olympic silver medal a year later.
KEY MAN: Rodri
Rodri is arguably the greatest holding midfielder the Premier League has ever seen. But will he have enough left in the tank after complaints of tiredness at Man City?
How Spain attack
Spain will be a different side to that which we have seen in recent years, with the 4-3-3 replaced by a more structured 4-2-3-1 formation.
The full-backs, attacking midfielders and wingers are all ready to push forward while Rodri and Fabian Ruiz sit deep in the quarterback role.
How Spain defend
Spain’s two deep midfielders allow the rest of the team to push forward and press high up the pitch.
Their focus will be on either dispossessing the opposition defence or forcing opponents to play long by cutting off the short pass option.
Read the full Spain Euro 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups, odds and Wags
It was no surprise that a month after his exploits, Barcelona tied Yamal up to a new that should keep him to the club until 2026.
Anyone who wants to sign him will have to cough up his release clause – which stands at a staggering £1billion.
PSG, you have been warned.
