Just a week before the start of Euro 2024, Lamine Yamal was asked what he would be doing if he wasn’t a footballer.
“I would like to be a streamer,” replied the Spain winger without hesitation, offering exactly the kind of answer you would expect from a 16 year old.
Instead, he is having to make do with becoming the youngest player in the history of the European Championships, providing an assist on his major tournament debut and being the real difference maker against one of the best international sides of the past decade.
Yamal played with the bravery and personality that has helped make him the brand-new face of a refreshed Spain.
Luis de la Fuente’s side started their tournament with a convincing 3-0 win over Croatia, thanks chiefly to a clinical first-half. Alvaro Morata and Fabian Ruiz both scored in a three minute window either side of the half-hour mark. Yamal was involved in the build-up to the latter, and then came the icing on the cake of his display.
In the final seconds of the first half, Yamal cut in from the right flank and quickly glanced up to the opposition penalty area. That momentary look was enough time for him to assess the positions and movements of his teammates. With a the execution of a veteran, the 16-year-old gently swept a cross into the path of Dani Carvajal, who poked it in to the net.
Yamal played 86 minutes against Croatia, touched the ball six times in the opposition box, had three shots, crossed the ball three more times and created three goalscoring opportunities. He completed three take-ons, as well as registering two ball recoveries.
It’s now seven goal involvements — two goals and five assists — in eight appearances for Spain. This most recent one made him the youngest player to ever provide an assist in a European Championship.
Spain were able to do all this despite surprisingly losing the battle for possession of the ball. With their 53% possession, Croatia put an end to a run of 138 consecutive games in which Spain had more of the ball than their opponents.
As insignificant as some stats can ultimately be, this one represented a well-sought development by De la Fuente’s team.
“We will play with the style that brings us a win,” Spanish star Rodri said before the game. “I am not a guardian of any philosophy. You need to adapt and change against any team.”
De la Fuente had more to say on this after the 3-0 win: “We are turning Spain into a team that can hurt the opponents in many different ways. We can be effective when we have possession of the ball, but if we are given the chance we are going to run and counter-attack as well.”
Yamal battles with Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
There is nobody who embodies Spain’s mentality switch better than Lamine Yamal. Playing with two out-and-out wingers makes a huge difference to the team. They force the opposition to defend the width of the pitch, leaving more free space in central areas, and as long as Yamal and Nico Williams keep their tactical discipline and track back when required, Spain are well placed to cut any rival open on the break.
And yet this team is far from the finished product. There are still doubts over how consistent they can be in both boxes, with looming concerns about the starting centre-back partnership and an eternal debate on Alvaro Morata and what Spain could be with a better striker. But the spark brought by Yamal alone makes them worth watching.
The Barcelona starlet burst into the national team in September last year, initially as a precautionary measure from the Spanish FA to prevent him representing another Morocco, for whom he was also eligible. But his current status has not been gifted, if anything at times he has been held back.
At club level, Barcelona manager Xavi did not want to rush him into action too often in the early part of the season, and was sensible with his load management: Yamal only started six La Liga matches before the turn of the year. As the season advanced, though, his talent was impossible to contain and left Xavi with no other option: he started 16 of the 19 league games he played in the second half of the season, and quickly became Barca’s go-to man in attack.
With Spain, there have been a few bumps on his road to the senior team. One blot on his copybook came just last year, when he was sent home from the Under-17 team after committing an unspecified act of indiscipline alongside two teammates.
That news came as a surprise to Jordi Font, who coached Yamal with Barca’s under-10s during the 2016-17 season.
“I don’t see Lamine as a conflictive guy,” he told The Athletic. “Apart from being his manager, I used to live close to his dad’s home and I usually gave him a ride in my car heading to our games, so I got to know him pretty well.”
“I don’t say it to protect him. We’ve had players at La Masia who were messing around all day, that’s a fact. But Lamine is not one of them.”
The punishment was extended by Barcelona, who left him out of several under-19 matches. Yamal accepted the consequences and apologised for his indiscretion.
The furore quickly died down and his impact with Barcelona increased — to the point that his call up to the senior Spain team seemed inevitable.
Barcelona and the Spanish FA have been in constant contact throughout the season to make sure the 16-year-old does not endure excessive gametime. With Yamal also eligible for the Olympics in Paris later this summer, there have been fears he may be run into the ground.
But his club and national team are understood to have reached a gentlemen’s agreement that Yamal won’t be deployed in two competitions in the same summer.
“I understand it would not be logical for me to go to both competitions because since I’ve started playing with the first-team, everyone has tried not to give me too many minutes,” Yamal said earlier this season.
His words came as a relief to Barcelona fans, but also showed incredible maturity and wisdom from a 16 year old.
Whatever happens this summer, we’re going to be seeing plenty more from Lamine Yamal in years to come.
(Top photo: Alex Pantling/UEFA via Getty Images)
