Confidence without apology
Lamine Yamal is still only 18, but he speaks with the certainty of a player who has already learned how quickly football can change a life.
Born in Rocafonda, near Barcelona, to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, the Spain forward has moved from street football to the World Cup stage with unusual speed. His rise has made him one of the faces of Spain’s campaign in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
According to Juan I. Irigoyen and David Álvarez in EL PAÍS’ interview with Lamine Yamal, Yamal is not uncomfortable with the confidence that surrounds him. He sees it as necessary rather than arrogant.
“I see myself as much better than how people see me,” Yamal said. “I know the road ahead is long, and I have many things to improve.”
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That mixture of self-belief and realism has already shown itself in Spain’s tournament. After the disappointment of a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in their opening match, Yamal scored the opening goal in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
The street and the academy
Yamal’s football has always carried two influences. One is Barcelona’s academy structure. The other is the street game he grew up with, where improvisation mattered as much as instruction.
He believes that combination has shaped him.
“When I played in the street, it was: whoever scores two goals wins, and the other one’s out,” Yamal said. “So, it was about being crafty, I don’t know, just having fun.”
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That background explains part of his appeal. Yamal plays with the discipline of a modern academy player, but his best moments still have the unpredictability of a player who learned to solve problems without being told exactly how.
He also made clear that he misses a certain type of footballer. He mentioned players such as Neymar, Isco, Karim Benzema, Vinícius Júnior and Rayan Cherki as the kind of figures who make him want to watch games.
A future in the middle
For now, Yamal is mainly a winger. He stretches defences, carries Spain’s attack and draws markers wherever he receives the ball.
But he does not believe that will be his final position.
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“I know I’ll have three players on me,” he said. “At least three, always three. If I’m lucky, two. But one-on-one never, never, never.”
That is why he already imagines moving inside later in his career.
“Over time, I’ll end up there, because on the wing it’s very easy to mark me with three, but in the middle they can’t do that,” Yamal said.
It is a striking answer from a teenager. He is not only thinking about how he plays now, but how opponents will try to stop him in the years ahead.
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The cost of fame
Yamal’s rise has also come with a loss of normal life. He says he first realised he was becoming famous at 13, when a boy recognised him in a park as “the Barça kid.”
Now, the limits are clearer. Simple things such as going for a drink, shopping in central Barcelona or sitting at a café have become difficult.
“I think I’d trade a lot of what we have just to be a free person,” Yamal said.
It is one of the more revealing lines in the interview. Yamal enjoys what his talent has given him, and he is open about wanting to enjoy the success he has earned. But he also understands that fame has taken something away.
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His parents remain central to that perspective. He spoke emotionally about the sacrifices they made to give him a chance in football, saying he will never be able to repay them.
No rush to crown a champion
Yamal also used the interview to push back against early conclusions about the World Cup.
After Spain’s slow start, he felt the reaction had become too dramatic too quickly. He argued that journalists and observers were trying to decide the tournament before it had properly developed.
“That journalists are in a big hurry to finish their work,” Yamal said. “It’s only the first round. Spain drew, Portugal drew, Argentina won 3–0. France won 3–1. And you already think the final will be France vs. Argentina? I don’t understand.”
His point was simple. The World Cup will not be decided by first impressions.
“Until July 19, you won’t know who will win, and you want to know today,” he said.
For Spain, that patience may be important. The draw with Cape Verde created questions, but the response against Saudi Arabia showed the quality in Luis de la Fuente’s squad.
Yamal is already one of the players expected to answer those questions. At 18, he is carrying pressure most footballers never experience. The difference is that he seems to welcome it.
