Lamine Yamal, a Spanish professional soccer player, is making headlines around the world for his spectacular performance as part of Spain’s EURO 2024 team.
On Wednesday night, he scored a viral equalizer goal against France that allowed Spain to advance to the finals. At 16 years old, Yamal is the youngest person to ever score a goal in the UEFA European Football Championship. Yamal’s 17th birthday falls on Saturday, July 13—just one day before Spain is set to face England in the EURO 2024 final held in Germany.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]At a post-game press conference after the semi-finals, Yamal discussed his record-breaking feat. According to the Associated Press, he told reporters: “I don’t know if it’s the best goal of the tournament, but it’s the most special for me because it is my first goal with the team at a European Championship.”
Raised in Catalonia, Spain, Yamal plays the position of right winger for the country’s national soccer team and FC Barcelona. Here’s what else you need to know about the rising soccer star.
Yamal is the son of Mounir Nasraoui, who immigrated to Spain from Morocco, and Sheila Ebana, who immigrated to Spain from Equatorial Guinea, according to The Athletic. His parents split when he was 3 years old, but co-parented Yamal together.
In a conversation with Spanish-language media, Nasraoui expressed deep pride in his son’s accomplishments. “I knew about my son when he was born, I knew he was going to be a star. Whoever is a father knows it, and any father wants his child to be the best,” he said. “Not only in football, but also in the love he gives and as a person. He is a child and he has a blessing from God, which is very important and must be valued.”
According to Capology, Yamal is earning a salary of €1,670,000 ($1,820,000) for the 2024-2025 Season at Barcelona.
In October 2023, Yamal signed a deal with Barcelona’s soccer club with a buyout clause set at €1 billion ($1.1 billion). This means that any other soccer team that wants to recruit Yamal as a player would have to pay €1 billion to Barcelona.
On July 4, Yamal’s father posted a picture from 2007 on Instagram of Yamal as a baby with soccer superstar Lionel Messi. Per Instagram’s translation tool, the Spanish language caption translates to “the beginning of two legends.”
The picture was revealed to have taken place after Yamal’s family won a raffle in the town of Mataró, Catalonia, where they lived at the time, according to the Associated Press. Winners of the raffle, which was organized by UNICEF and Diario Sport, were given the opportunity to take photos with the Barcelona players.
