He debuted when he was fifteen years old and, at just 18, Lamine Yamal He has already become the new icon of Barcelona. He is the undisputed leader of Hansi Flick’s team and all the pools place him as a future winner of the Ballon d’Or. To better understand his game and learn about his career, read the book ‘Lamine Yamal Universe’from the young journalist Albert Blaya and published by ‘Now Books’ is a great option.
Is the book commissioned by the publisher or your proposal?
I had contact with the publisher to do another football book before, but it didn’t come out. At the end of May they contacted me because they had in mind to do something about Lamine. Since I had more time, I embarked on writing the book. It was an idea from the publisher, but nuanced. First it was one thing and it has ended up being another.
What exactly did they want to do?
His initial idea was that the book would also focus on the most social part of Lamine Yamal. A documentary along those lines had not been made on TV3 too long ago and, furthermore, he had little time, and to do something like that you need very close voices from his family. It was difficult to explain anything else, so I focused on the football topic.
Football-wise, what attracts you most about Lamine Yamal?
What attracts me most is that he is a player who has not needed an adaptation process at the highest level. He is the same player as in the cadet, but better. This surprises me a lot in a forward and also because he was not physically made when he debuted. He practically didn’t notice the jump.
What value do you give to having trained at La Masía?
It is a very important step because La Masía enhances all this talent and allows it to express itself, but Lamine’s talent is universal and timeless. Going through La Masía gives you a speech and a space to express yourself, which is the most interesting thing. Barça, when Lamine appeared, had no soul or leaders. And that helps Lamine gain a great role within the team.
We already know that Lamine does not want to compare himself to Messi. Do you see similarities between the two cases?
In the case of Messi and Lamine there are communicating vessels: they are two players with very instinctive football. Messi explained that La Masía helped him understand the collective game because he was a born dribbler. Lamine is not so much; He always looks for the pass more. La Masía helps them understand the game in a particular way.
Is Flick the best coach for Lamine to exploit his full potential?
Guardiola was very good at detecting many things at a tactical level and anticipating processes, and I believe that Flick is a very good coach of footballers. He knows how to read their nature very well, allows the players to express themselves and has improved them. We saw it with Raphinha, now with Gerard Martín. With Lamine I see him as a father figure: to put his feet on the ground, to insist on the process, that he must be calm. At a tactical level, he is making him see that he now needs the wing and that little by little he will introduce it inside.
Do you see him as a midfielder soon?
Yes. More than as a midfielder, I see him playing inside. He has the last pass, goal and will improve in this aspect. His natural process is that he ends up playing inside.
Is your most immediate challenge to improve the number of goals?
He has the potential to score more goals. In 2025 only Mbappé has made more shots. The thing is that Mbappé’s conversion rate is 22% and Lamine’s is 6%. It has to improve in this. It must also be said that his goals are more complicated, with shots after a drive. He has few goals defining first or easy.
The book does not talk much about Lamine’s social side, but in it we find a footballer with a tremendous personality despite his youth.
I really remember an interview they did with him when he made his debut in the Champions League in which he said that the League was very good, but that the Champions League was a different thing. I was surprised that a 16-year-old boy was already talking in those terms. The logical thing at that age is to say that you like everything, but he already discerned between the big stages. In the Champions League he was decisive against Inter, but also against Benfica, Dortmund… Off the field he also shows a very powerful personality. It’s an icon.
Messi lasted many years. On the other hand, Neymar and Ronaldinho could not have that consistency and they faded sooner. Should your challenge be to have this continuity?
For great players, the challenge is to see how they improve their game and become better every day. Lamine is so good that he can fall into complacency, thinking that at 18 he has already gained a lot and that what difference does it make to improve if I am better than the rest. Lamine must face himself. Messi had Cristiano to measure himself against, but in the case of Lamine there is a generational gap. You can compare it with Mbappé, yes, but they have been around for a decade. It remains to be seen if anyone comes out, but Lamine’s challenge will be with himself because he is far superior to those of his generation. We will also have to be attentive to see how Barcelona accompanies him.
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