Lamine Yamal, uncovered: his life with fame, Barça, and the Ballon d'Or dream

Lamine Yamal is the man of the moment. At just 17 years old, the star of FC Barcelona has established himself as the top figure of his club and the Spanish National Team, earning the affection and respect of teammates, rivals, and fans. Despite his youth, the La Masia academy graduate is already in the spotlight and, far from being intimidated, embraces his new role with grace and an unusual maturity for a boy his age.

Regarding this, the player spoke in an interview with the newspaper 'SPORT', where in addition to revealing details about the locker room, he opened up about his relationship with fame. "I go out to enjoy and not think about this. I want to enjoy and have fun, play football which is what I do best and not think about these things," the footballer stated about his status as a star in the football world.

Lamine has shown to have a well-balanced mind, largely thanks to the guidance of his two coaches, Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente, who insist that he keeps his feet on the ground. "They have told me so many times that they no longer need to repeat it, it's something you must always have in mind. It will only harm you if you believe you are the best at everything. You have to enjoy and not think about the rest. This is the way," Yamal commented.

However, his competitive nature has sometimes made it difficult for him to hide his displeasure when the coaches send him to the bench. "This shows that everyone wants to play. At the moment of substitution, every player gets upset. It's normal, but on the way to the bench, it happens. A teammate comes in who, when you are on the field, wanted you to do well, and in the end, it's the same," the forward stated.

"Kids are going to get braces because they have seen them on me"

The Barça star, on the other hand, expressed his happiness upon realizing that he is a role model for new generations following football. "When I see kids with my jersey, or I go more incognito and see kids with my jersey, I feel very happy, it's what I've always dreamed of. I always tell my mother, I don't know what I'm living, but I'm enjoying it a lot."

In fact, his personal dentist reportedly told him that "kids are going to get braces because they have seen them on me. It's something that goes hand in hand with football. Kids want to be like their idols and I enjoy it a lot."

Lamine's relationship with the Barça locker room

Marc Casadó was one of the last-minute absences for the national team after suffering a knee injury, so he will not be part of the squad that will face Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. Regarding this, Lamine revealed that "after the match against Atlético de Madrid, I asked him how he was going to the concentration and he told me he had to get an MRI because he had pain in his knee," the player began to say.

"I spoke with him yesterday (Monday) and I wrote to him to recover soon, that when he comes back, I will visit him and we will spend some time together. We hope he recovers soon. We care about him a lot. He was having an incredible season. For being his first season in the elite, he was at a great level of play, of assists, and I’m glad he was doing well," he added.

Who will be present in the clash against the 'Oranje' is Frenkie de Jong, who will face several of his club teammates. "I don't know how he will be, he was sick with a stomach issue. When we got Netherlands, we talked about it. I wished him luck and I’m looking forward to playing against him. He is a fantastic player. We are very eager to play against Netherlands," Yamal stated about the match.

"We are a close-knit group. We are much more of a team than last year"

Yamal's words about his teammates reflect the good atmosphere in the locker room. Regarding this, the winger stated that "we are a close-knit group. We are much more of a team than last year. It's normal that happens over time when a group of players comes together and spends time together. Only new Dani Olmo came who was in the Euro, we are many Spaniards and we form a great family. It was evident with the celebration against Atlético or Benfica. We all rejoice for each other and that is the key to the team."

Finally, regarding the race for the Ballon d'Or, where he is one of the favorites alongside Raphinha, Lamine smiled and said at home that "we haven't talked about that. If Barça wins the titles ahead, one will take it, whoever it is. I am very happy for Raphinha, I always tell him, his change has been incredible and he is having a great season. The Ballon d'Or doesn't worry me."