Lamine Yamal celebrates his 17th birthday on Saturday, but the Barcelona forward has more pressing matters on his mind: the Euro 2024 final. The teenager has been one of the tournament's standout players, and his stunning goal against France in the semi-final made him the youngest scorer in European Championship history at 16 years and 362 days.
Born in Mataro, 20 miles from Barcelona, Yamal was raised in the Rocafonda neighbourhood, one of Spain's most deprived areas. His trademark celebration, forming the numbers 304 with his fingers, is a tribute to the area's postcode. His mother, from Equatorial Guinea, worked at McDonald's, while his father is from Morocco. The couple split when Yamal was three, and he later moved to La Torreta with his mother.
Yamal's talent was evident from an early age. He was kicking a ball before his first birthday and honed his skills on concrete courts against older boys. His mother's partner, a local footballer, encouraged her to sign him up for La Torreta FC. Scouts from Barcelona's La Masia academy soon spotted him, and he moved into club accommodation with his father. In his second year, he scored 56 goals in 30 matches, playing four age groups above his own.
At 15, Yamal was invited to train with the first team by then-coach Xavi. He made his La Liga debut 290 days later and became a household name in Spain. Internationally, he chose to represent Spain over Morocco, scoring 30 minutes into his senior debut in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia.
Away from football, Yamal is described as shy and quiet. He passed his ESO exams, the Spanish equivalent of GCSEs, during the tournament. His father, Mounir, has been a constant presence and recently posted a photo of his son being bathed by Lionel Messi in 2007, when Yamal was a baby. The image came about after the family won a Unicef raffle for a photoshoot with a Barcelona player.
