Lamine Yamal: 16-Year-Old Makes Football History: At Munich’s Allianz Arena, the universe around Lamine Yamal and the MATCH clock came to an end at 20:16. The amazing shot from his left instep curled and curled for twenty yards, shaking the iron post as it went and nestling into the French nets beyond the soaring shot-stopper Mike Maignan. That was the exact moment.
The goal propelled Spain to a historic comeback victory over France to go to the 2024 Euro Championship final. It would go on to become the most famous goal in tournament history and be immortalised on the wall of football tragedy for years to come.
The goal was impressive on multiple levels. First, he showed composure to snatch the ball in front of a packed defence. Next, he showed vision to find the ideal path to goal among French shirts. Finally, he used his dexterity to trick his friends and pre-match provocateur Adrien Rabiot to one side of the goal. Finally, he used his conviction to bend the ball past the custodian from a distance.
The most startling aspect, though, is that Yamal is only 16; on Saturday, he turns 17. He is already the youngest at a number of achievements, including becoming the youngest to play for both his country and his club, FC Barcelona, as well as the youngest goal scorer and assist producer at the Euros.
He appears more youthful. There’s no sign of a moustache; when he smiles, his braces are visible; he’s brought textbooks to help him study for the test. Since minors are not allowed to work after 8 p.m. in Germany due to labour laws, the coach usually substitutes him after the hour mark to avoid incurring a large fine. However, when he has the ball in his hands, he can make adults twice his age laugh uncontrollably.
However, he is still a youngster someplace. He has spent ten years at Barcelona’s renowned youth academy La Masia, but he still experiences homesickness. Every day, he speaks with his parents, Mounir from Morocco and Sheila from Equatorial Guinea. His mother had asked him what he wanted for his birthday during the phone conversation prior to the game. “You don’t need to buy me any presents if we manage to win,” he retorted. It was his birthday, so he treated himself. An unattainable beauty.
He might have seen his parents’ faces flash in his thoughts at that very instant. His father had to borrow money from neighbours and family to buy footwear and accompany him to football trials, thus his childhood was not simple. Barcelona scouts noticed him during one of these trials. After eight years, the renowned Xavi Hernandez, who was the manager of Barcelona at the time, became interested in him. After observing him practise for just ten minutes, he invited him to train with the senior team. Additionally, he was promoted to the first team last season.
However, he kept his mother’s scarf at his bedside for many years. He took it with him to the pitch and the school. Every time there’s a lull, he races to his hometown of Rocafonda, which is about half an hour from Barcelona and is a tranquil, migrant-rich town of 120,000 people. He enjoys spending time with his parents and other relatives. My uncle’s bakery is where I spend a lot of time with my 23 cousins. He once said, “I belong there,” to GQ Spanish.
His identity lies in the town. He flashes the final three digits of the town’s postcode, 304, whenever he scores a goal. The number is also imprinted on his boot, next to the Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean flags. He brought a piece of Rocafonda to Barcelona and is currently in Germany. He is the ideal blend of the orderly football school and the unorganised, self-taught street academy.
He is mischievous, has an eye for narrow places, and is quite skilled at trickery. He can also squirm through a maelstrom of markers. “In the end, learning to play street football gives you greater resources because it’s more like street football and there are fewer rules, which leads to more mischief in you than learning in a school,” he had previously stated.
He also possesses the technical dexterity of a product from Barcelona Academy. He can control the ball with any muscle in his body, has an excellent first touch, drops back to assist with defence, and his near-half pressing and tackles were just as crucial as his goal on Tuesday night.
The accolades were abundant. Coach Luis de la Fuente of Spain exclaimed, “He is touched by God.” Didier Deschamps, the France coach, praised his shot, saying it was magnifique. “Only a selected one could accomplish this,” his colleague Rodri exclaimed. Xavi used to say, “His decision-making is almost always right,” months ago. In football, that is the most difficult task.
Yamal has been compared to Lionel Messi because of his abundance of abilities, the fact that he is a left-footed player on the right wing, and his connection to Barcelona. Although Yamal is too young to understand that the path to greatness is arduous, he has laughed off the analogy. There are multiple cautionary tales. Johan Vonlanthen, a Swiss goal scorer who was the youngest before him, is currently a Seventh-Day Adventist clergyman. Ansu Fati, his highly regarded senior, is finding it difficult to fit in with mid-table clubs.
Nevertheless, Yamal has waltzed into the global football awareness, stopping it as the game clock hit 20:16 in Berlin, whether or not he realises his full potential.
