Summary
- At just 17, Lamine Yamal has transformed himself into one of the best players on the planet.
- Yamal came throuh the famous La Masia academy at Barcelona just like Lionel Messi
- One former Barcelona star coached Yamal as a youngster and revealed what he possessed that other talented teenagers didn’t.
There are just some young talents you look at and know are going to be special. They arrive on the scene with an introduction that is incredible beyond their years, making the world stand up and take notice as they put forward their credentials to be football’s next superstar.
Some don’t fulfill that promise, whether it be because of injuries, a lack of professionalism, or maybe they just weren’t quite as good as they were hyped up to be. Others, though, do reach the top, and while it is still very early to say, it appears as though Lamine Yamal is most certainly falling into the latter camp. Still only 17 years old, the teenager has become the poster boy for Barcelona while also playing a prominent role in Spain’s European Championship victory in his very first major tournament.
Not even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had the experience and numbers at his age, and the sky really does appear to be the limit for the wonderkid. For those who weren’t aware of him before he burst onto the scene, his immediate transformation into one of the best players in the world could be a shock. But for another ex-Barcelona man who just so happened to have the opportunity to coach Yamal, it is the furthest thing from a surprise.
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Javier Saviola Recounts First Seeing Lamine Yamal
The former striker coached Yamal as a youth player
Javier Saviola once found himself in a similar position to Yamal. The Argentine was a highly sought-after young talent, who had spells playing for the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona – one of a select few to ever achieve such a feat. After a playing career that saw him lift the UEFA Cup, La Liga, and Copa Libertadores, among other things, he turned his hand to coaching and was handed the role of assistant manager of the under-19 squad, blessed with some incredible talent coming through La Masia at the time.
For all the potential he was fortunate enough to work with, though, the Argentine, who made 172 appearances for Los Cules, revealed that it was Yamal who stood out more than anyone. He even claimed that you could tell the winger was going to be special from an early age.
“I think it’s very difficult to find a player with so many qualities at 15 years old,” the 43 year old claimed. “In our time, we were lucky to see something similar, but honestly, I don’t know if there is currently another player with that level of talent and maturity at such a young age.”
“What impressed us the most, beyond his footballing skills, was his incredible personality. At 15, he was already playing for the Juvenil A team, competing against players up to 19 years old, and yet he still stood out.
“Not only was he the youngest in his category, but he also had the ability to carry the team on his shoulders in crucial moments. There were matches where he literally won them on his own.
“There are many other talented players, but they still lack something – something they will likely develop over time. However, with Lamine, it was different. We could see that he already had almost everything, with very few things to improve.
“When you come across a player who practically has it all at that age, it’s impossible not to realise that you are witnessing a truly special talent.”
Yamal’s Record-Breaking Career so Far
The teenager has already won numerous accolades
Yamal’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary, with the 17-year-old breaking a series of records that highlight his immense potential. At just 16 years and 38 days, he became the youngest player to start a La Liga game in the 21st century during Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Cadiz. He followed that up by becoming the youngest player to provide an assist in La Liga in the same century, setting the record at 16 years and 45 days against Villarreal.
The 2024 Kopa trophy recipient also made history on the international stage, becoming Spain’s youngest debutant and scorer at 16 years and 57 days in their 7-1 victory over Georgia and would later go on to break the record for youngest player and youngest goalscorer at a European Championship the following summer.
His Champions League debut came shortly after, where he became the youngest Barcelona debutant in the competition. At just 16 years and 107 days, he became the youngest player to feature in El Clasico. With multiple records under his belt, Yamal’s future looks incredibly bright and he will no doubt have his eye on becoming just the third Spaniard to ever win the Ballon d’Or.
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Lamine Yamal is football’s brightest talent, a true epitome of the term “wonderkid” and has broken countless records already.