Anyone who saw Lamine Yamal’s goal for Spain against France on Tuesday night can’t fail to have been astonished.
It was the finish of an accomplished professional in one of the biggest game of his career, and yet Yamal is still only 16 years of age.
After a season where he came of age at Barcelona, the wunderkind has simply translated that form onto the international stage during Euro 2024.
He’d already bagged a series of assists in Germany before he wrote the headlines once more.
However, in Ansu Fati, the youngster has an example close at hand as to how quickly fate can change.
After all, it wasn’t long ago that Fati was being feted as the natural successor to Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
Still only 22, Fati had set a number of records at Barcelona and for Spain, but a knee injury curtailed his progress and he’s never been the same player since.
Club colleague, Pedri, has also had his fair share of injury problems, which might be put down to the incredible strain put on his body at such a young age.
There was a time when young players were eased into starting XIs at their clubs, but the immediacy of success now seems to dictate that those same players have to be played at the earliest opportunity and kept in the side if their form remains decent.
? Lamine Yamal becomes the ???????? player ever to win Man of the Match in UEFA game.
? The ???????? player ever to score at the Euros.
? The ???????? player ever to assist at the Euros.
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— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 9, 2024
After a stunning performance against France, Yamal became the youngest player ever to receive a Man of the Match award in a UEFA game.
That accolade can be added to the others at the tournament; Youngest to feature at Euro 2024, youngest to assist and youngest to score.
It’s difficult to comprehend just how young he is given the assured way in which he plays the game, and it will be down to his Barcelona and Spain team-mates to keep him grounded, as well as the Catalan club’s hierarchy to ensure he doesn’t burn out too quickly.
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