Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, born on July 13, 2007, in Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Yamal's journey to becoming one of football's most exciting young talents is a story of rapid progression, international decisions, and record-breaking achievements. This article delves into his nationality, early life, club career, and international journey.
Early Life and Heritage
Yamal's parents are immigrants to Spain. His father, Mounir Nasraoui, is from Morocco, and his mother, Sheila Ebana, is from Equatorial Guinea. His parents separated when he was three years old, although both remained present through his childhood. The family had lived in Mataró, but around the time of his parents' separation, Yamal's mother moved to Granollers, where Yamal started playing football at the local club La Torreta at the age of four. He would alternate between both cities to spend time with his parents.
With his father in Mataró, Yamal grew up in Rocafonda, a neighbourhood described by El País as "forgotten, isolated and stigmatized"; he celebrates goals by making a gesture of the number 304, the last digits of the local postcode 08304. Yamal has a younger half-brother named Keyne (born 2022) and a younger sister named Baraa.
In a conversation with Spanish-language media, Nasraoui expressed deep pride in his son’s accomplishments. He said, “I knew about my son when he was born, I knew he was going to be a star. Whoever is a father knows it, and any father wants his child to be the best. Not only in football, but also in the love he gives and as a person. He is a child and he has a blessing from God, which is very important and must be valued.”
Club Career: From La Masia to FC Barcelona First Team
Lamine Yamal arrived at FC Barcelona at the age of 7 from his local club CF La Torreta. As a child, Yamal first played organized football with local Spanish club CF La Torreta before joining La Masia, FC Barcelona’s youth academy, in 2014. At La Masia he raced through the age categories quicker than any other player of his generation. He progressed rapidly through age groups, frequently playing above his age and training with the first team as a teen.
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Yamal was incorporated into the Juvenil A team in the 2022-23 season. There, he caught the attention of Xavi Hernández and was invited to train with the first team in September 2022. The forward had barely started playing for the U19s when he began training with the first team at the request of coach Xavi Hernández.
He made his debut for Xavi Hernández's Barça on April 29, 2023, in a La Liga match against Real Betis, replacing Gavi in the 83rd minute. On April 29, 2023, at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, Yamal became the youngest player to debut for the FC Barcelona first team, breaking a record set in 1922. The Spanish team was winning 4-0 when Lamine became the youngest player to debut with Barcelona's first team. That was his only appearance in that campaign.
The 2022-23 season was Yamal's first with FC Barcelona's first team. He was promoted to FC Barcelona’s topflight squad for the 2023-24 season.
On August 20, 2023, he started in the 2-0 victory against Cádiz, becoming the youngest starter in the history of La Liga at 16 years and 38 days old. In the new season, it only took him 37 matches to be called up to the Spanish national team. On October 8, in the 2-2 draw against Granada C.F., he scored his first goal for the club. In October 2023 he scored in a match against Spanish club Granada to become the youngest goal scorer in La Liga (Spanish football league) history. He ended his second season as a professional player for FC Barcelona with five goals and five assists.
The winger set a whole host of records in the 2023/24 season with Barça, becoming the youngest player ever to reach 50 appearances for the first team. Besides, Lamine also set other records with regards to goalscoring and assists in competition such as La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. In total in 2023/24 he made 50 appearances for Xavi Hernández's team, scoring 7 goals.
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Under Hansi Flick Lamine had a spectacular 2024/25 campaign scoring 18 goals and providing 21 assists. During the 2024-25 season he made 55 appearances for FC Barcelona and scored 18 goals and 25 assists in all competitions.
In the first match of the 2024-25 La Liga season on 18 August, Yamal assisted Lewandowski to help Barcelona equalize against Valencia in a 2-1 win. In the following match against Athletic Bilbao on 24 August, Yamal scored his first goal of the season in another 2-1 victory.
On 19 September, Yamal scored his first Champions League goal, scoring an equalizer in a 2-1 loss to Monaco in the Champions League league phase, becoming the second youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days, behind teammate Ansu Fati, who scored at 17 years and 40 days in October 2020. On 26 October, at the age of 17 years and 105 days, Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in El Clásico history when he scored the third goal in a 4-0 victory against Real Madrid, surpassing the record of Fati who did so at the age of 17 years and 359 days in October 2020.
On 30 April, Yamal made his 100th appearance for the club in the Champions League semi-final first-leg against Inter Milan. On 11 May 2025, Yamal played a pivotal role in Barcelona's 4-3 comeback victory over Real Madrid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Yamal was a member of the youth academy, La Masia, before breaking into the Barcelona first team squad in the 2023-24 season. He became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or (at age 17) and also won the Kopa Trophy in 2024 and 2025, presented to the best young player in the world. In the following season, he was integral to Barcelona winning a domestic treble of the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España.
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In August 2025 he was named in the 30-player short list for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award. In September 2025 he became the first player to win the Kopa Trophy for the second year in a row. He also finished second in the final men’s Ballon d’Or rankings behind French footballer Ousmane Dembélé.
Lamine Yamal – The Rise of Barcelona’s Next Superstar
International Career: Choosing Spain
Lamine Yamal has been associated with the Spanish national team since his youth stage. Yamal represented the youth sections of the Catalonia national football team from a young age, and became captain when he was 11 years old. In 2021, he played 4 matches and scored 1 goal with Spain's U-16 team.
On September 8, 2023, he made his debut with Spain's senior national team against Georgia, a match in which he scored a goal, becoming the youngest player in history to play and score for Spain at the age of 16 years and 57 days. On an international level, Lamine also became the youngest player ever to play for the Spanish national side and their youngest ever goalscorer.
He made his senior team debut for Spain on September 8, 2023, in a Euro 2024 (quadrennial football tournament featuring national European teams) qualifier match against Georgia. At 16 years and 57 days old, he became Spain’s youngest senior international and, by scoring in the 7-1 win, the country’s youngest goal scorer. He was named Young Player of the Tournament and helped Spain win the Euro 2024 competition.
In the summer of 2024 he also became the youngest player ever to appear in the European Championships when he started for Spain against Croatia at the age of 16 years and 338 days. Yamal was selected for UEFA Euro 2024, playing an important role in helping Spain win their fourth title, while also winning the tournament's Young Player Award.
After the controversy that followed him, the suspense is over: Lamine Yamal is now officially a player of the national team of Spain. The young Moroccan-Spanish player opted to play for the Spanish National Team, or La Roja, as indicated by the squad list shared by Luis de la Fuente, the Spain Men’s National Team coach, on Friday morning. This list was intended for the next two matches of the Spanish selection: the first against Georgia on September 8th and then against Cyprus on September 12th. If he plays, Yamal could potentially become the youngest player ever to represent Spain, breaking Gavi’s record set in 2021.
Since then, international and football media outlets have debated whether he would commit to playing for Spain or Morocco. Walid Regragui, Morocco’s National Team Coach, addressed questions about Lamine Yamal’s absence from his own squad list in a press conference. Regragui stated that he and the Federation had entered talks with the young player and explained “our project” to him, but Yamal had yet to give his final decision. The coach added that it is a personal choice and a difficult one for someone so young, especially considering the external pressure he faces. “I would not want to be in his shoes; he is still too young to make a decision… We would like him to play for us because it would enable us to have a future star on our team.”
Style of Play and Comparisons
Known for his close control, trickery with the ball, and passing range and creativity, Yamal is considered one of the sport’s most talented young stars. With his technical profile, Yamal was compared to former Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi, like many La Masia products before him. Yamal has also drawn comparisons with former Barcelona player Neymar due to their similar playing style that involve a lot of dribbling, flair and chance creations.
Family and Community Support
In a recent interview on Espejo Público, Lamine Yamal’s grandmother addressed the controversy surrounding the 17-year-old footballer’s nationality. She spoke from Rocafonda in Mataró, where Yamal grew up saying “He was born here, studied here. That child is not from Morocco, you understand?” Amid controversy over his decision to play for Spain, she stressed that her son did not force him to choose. “He has played for Morocco, France, and Spain… wherever he wanted,” she explained. His grandmother also expressed her deep affection for Lamine. “I love him very much,” she affirmed during the program.
Neighbors shared their observations of Yamal. “When he comes, he wears a hoodie. I told him, ‘You’re silly, take off the hood. You’re the joy of the neighborhood,'” recounted a local woman. Another neighbor commented on the backlash surrounding his choice to represent Spain. “His own people said he betrayed Morocco by not playing for them,” they noted.
Salary and Market Value
According to Capology, Yamal is earning a salary of €1,670,000 ($1,820,000) for the 2024-2025 Season at Barcelona. In October 2023, Yamal signed a deal with Barcelona’s soccer club with a buyout clause set at €1 billion ($1.1 billion). This means that any other soccer team that wants to recruit Yamal as a player would have to pay €1 billion to Barcelona.
Key Achievements and Records
The following table summarizes Lamine Yamal's key achievements and records:
| Achievement/Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Youngest player to debut for FC Barcelona | 15 years, 9 months, 16 days |
| Youngest starter in La Liga history | 16 years, 38 days |
| Youngest goal scorer in La Liga history | Scored against Granada C.F. |
| Youngest player to play for Spain | 16 years, 57 days |
| Youngest goal scorer for Spain | Scored against Georgia |
| Kopa Trophy Winner | 2024, 2025 |
| Youngest goalscorer in El Clásico history | 17 years, 105 days |
| Youngest player ever to appear in the European Championships | 16 years and 338 days |
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