We have become so used to hearing about the achievements of ‘16-year-old’ Lamine Yamal that it might come as a surprise to some when commentators don’t mention that in tomorrow’s European Championship final between Spain and England.
That is because Yamal, born on July 13, 2007, turns 17 today (Saturday). The winger has already achieved more than many players do in their entire careers — he is an undisputed star for Barcelona and Spain, could win his first international title at Berlin’s Olympiastadion and became the youngest scorer in Euros history with a spectacular semi-final goal against France at 16 years and 362 days old.
The Athletic’s Barcelona reporter Laia Cervello Herrero, who has seen his rise first-hand, has compiled a list of his 17 defining moments to celebrate the 17th birthday of a player who is sure to mark the game’s next decade and beyond.
April 29, 2023: Barcelona debut against Real Betis
Those of us who cover Barcelona had heard about Yamal’s talent by this point. “In La Masia (the club’s academy), there is a player called Lamine Yamal and we haven’t seen anything like him since Leo Messi,” was what one club source — who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — said.
High praise indeed, which was justified as he made his Barca debut at 15 years and 290 days old. Yamal came on for Gavi in the 83rd minute of a game Xavi’s side were winning 4-0 against Betis.
Yamal comes on for his Barca debut (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Yamal didn’t score but in just those seven minutes, he left Ousmane Dembele with a clear chance in front of goal and provided the Frenchman with another couple of opportunities he spurned. It also meant Yamal got his hands on his first piece of silverware in football’s elite just over a fortnight later: that season’s La Liga title.
May 30, 2023: Goal against France in Under-17 Euros semi-final
After making his Barca debut, Yamal’s talent was clear at the Under-17 Euros in Hungary.
He scored twice in the group stage and once in a 3-0 quarter-final win against the Republic of Ireland but his effort to put Spain ahead against France in the semi-final was the most spectacular — a stunning left-footed strike with more than a little resemblance to the one he would score against France at the senior Euros a year later.
Lamine Yamal 🆚 France, #U17EURO semi-final, 2023 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kORrM0UmjL
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 9, 2024
It was not enough for Spain to advance to the final — France came back to win 3-1 — but Yamal served notice as joint-top scorer at that tournament.
August 8, 2023: Joan Gamper Trophy against Tottenham
This is the pre-season friendly that traditionally signals the start of a new campaign for Barca. It gives them a chance to show off that season’s squad to their fans and offer something to hope for.
In this case, it was Yamal’s 10-minute cameo. The winger came on for defender Eric Garcia in the 80th minute when Barca were trailing Tottenham 2-1 and inspired a fightback. Three goals in 12 minutes made it 4-2 to the hosts at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
Yamal didn’t score any of them, but he dribbled past Spurs’ defenders at will and showed he was more than capable of wreaking havoc against any team.
August 20, 2023: First La Liga start against Cadiz
In the second La Liga game of the season, Yamal was given his first big chance.
Barca’s starting right-winger, Raphinha, had been sent off against Getafe on the opening day, opening a space for Yamal. He became the youngest player to start a La Liga game this century at 16 years and 38 days old and played his part in a 2-0 win, producing two chances, five dribbles, 34 successful passes and four crosses.
“I see him ready, I check him in training every day,” Xavi said. “He can make a difference for us.”
August 27, 2023: First La Liga assist against Villarreal
It was becoming clear that Yamal was here to stay — his performance against Villarreal in the third game of the season was proof of that. He didn’t score but was decisive in a 4-3 win.
He set up Gavi for Barca’s opening goal — his first La Liga assist, making him the youngest player to do that this century — and hit the post twice. The second of those chances set up Robert Lewandowski’s winning goal. Yamal was named man of the match on just his second start.
GO DEEPERIn Lamine Yamal's home town, Spain's Euro 2024 heroics stop everythingSeptember 8, 2023: Spain debut against Georgia
Yamal was called up to the senior national team to make him a Spain player as soon as possible. He was eligible for Morocco through his father but chose La Roja and began to write his destiny with them.
Youngest Spain debutants
| Player | Age at debut |
|---|---|
16 years and 57 days | |
17 years and 60 days | |
17 years and 62 days | |
17 years and 284 days | |
17 years and 308 days |
In the event, this European qualifier did much more than tie Yamal’s future to Spain. He became the country’s youngest player at 16 years and 57 days old when he came on for Dani Olmo in the 44th minute, then their youngest goalscorer when he added the final flourish to a 7-1 win.
The winger celebrates his first goal for Spain (Oliver Hardt – UEFA via Getty Images)
September 29, 2023: Provoking a Sergio Ramos own goal against Sevilla
Yamal made headlines before this game after images circulated on social media showing him accompanying Ramos as a mascot in a 2016 Clasico, when the defender was at Real Madrid.
👀 Atención al niño que acompañaba a @SergioRamos en el túnel de vestuarios de #ElClásico de 2016
🔥 ¡Hoy serán rivales por primera vez!
⏳ A partir de las 21:00 sigue el minuto a minuto del #BarçaSevillaFC en @DirectoGol
#️⃣ #MuchoMásEnJuego pic.twitter.com/1nSs0q6Uag
— GOL PLAY (@Gol) September 29, 2023
Seven years later, their paths met again after Ramos returned to his boyhood club Sevilla last summer. Yamal’s 76th-minute header across goal came off the centre-back to give Barca a 1-0 win.
October 8, 2023: First La Liga goal against Granada
The moment many fans had been waiting for — Yamal’s first goal — came at Granada’s Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium.
Barca were trailing 2-0 when Yamal found himself alone in front of goal in first-half stoppage time and scored a tap-in. Xavi’s side rallied to draw 2-2 but couldn’t beat a team who went on to be relegated. Yamal’s moment provided a silver lining — and he broke another record as the youngest scorer in La Liga history at 16 years and 87 days old.
October 28, 2023: First taste of El Clasico
The season’s first game against Real Madrid was another landmark for Yamal, although it didn’t end as he would have hoped at the Lluis Companys.
He came on for Joao Cancelo in the 76th minute after Jude Bellingham’s spectacular equaliser for Real Madrid. Bellingham decided the game in stoppage time despite Barca dominating for 60 minutes, but Yamal became the youngest player in the history of the rivalry at 16 years and 107 days old.
November 25, 2023: Another starring performance against Rayo Vallecano
Yamal’s opportunities were more limited at the start of the season, as Xavi’s coaching staff didn’t want to rush the youngster and were keen to protect him from potential injuries previously suffered by wonderkids such as Ansu Fati and Pedri.
But he continued to play and provide chances for his team-mates, providing the assist for Florian Lejeune’s own goal that ensured a 1-1 draw. It was another poor Barca performance in which Yamal shone, with some of his dribbles leaving Rayo players on the floor.
GO DEEPERWhat makes Lamine Yamal such a special footballer?January 11, 2024: Scores in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Osasuna
The Supercopa de Espana is Spain’s equivalent of the English Community Shield but has been played as a mini-tournament in Saudi Arabia in recent years.
Yamal came on for Raphinha in the 42nd minute with the teams locked at 0-0. He scored his side’s second in the 93rd minute after Lewandowski’s 59th-minute effort to send Barca to the final. What happened there is another story — Barca were beaten 4-1 by arch-rivals Madrid, with Yamal again coming off the bench — but against Osasuna, he became the youngest player and scorer in the competition’s history.
January 24, 2024: Youngest Copa del Rey scorer against Athletic Bilbao
San Mames was the stage for one of Barcelona’s most difficult matches of the season, the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey, Spain’s national cup competition, against Athletic.
Yamal scored Barca’s second to make it 2-1 with a beautifully struck shot from the edge of the area. Naturally, that meant he became the youngest scorer in Copa del Rey history.
Yamal takes flight against Athletic (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But it was not all positive — he missed one of Barca’s clearest chances in the 65th minute which might have prevented extra time. Instead, Athletic came back to win 4-2 and book their place in the semi-finals (they went on to lift the trophy).
February 11, 2024: First La Liga brace against Granada
Granada were Yamal’s opponents for another of his defining moments, a first brace that made him — you guessed it — the youngest to do it in La Liga.
The second goal, to make it 3-3, was worthy of an art gallery. Yamal took the ball off Granada’s Jose Callejon, cut onto his left boot and produced a low strike from 24 yards out that goalkeeper Augusto Batalla couldn’t get a hand to.
La sonrisa de un niño que ha marcado un DOBLETE. 👏#LALIGAEASPORTS | #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/bWaZ9NQemm
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) February 14, 2024
March 8, 2024: Wondergoal against Mallorca
With Barca struggling against another team they should have been beating, Yamal provided the spark yet again.
This 73rd-minute effort was arguably his best yet for Barca, twisting and turning past midfielder Dani Rodriguez in the box before curling an inch-perfect shot into the top left-hand corner. Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic could only watch as it sailed past him.
Lamine Yamal, that is OUT OF THIS WORLD 💫#LALIGAHighlights | @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/AmcvJBvVFw
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 12, 2024
March 26, 2024: Standing ovation at the Bernabeu
Spain played a friendly against Brazil at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium in March to show support for Vinicius Junior after the racist abuse he has suffered at Spanish grounds in recent years.
The 3-3 draw that followed was feisty, with Yamal standing out for his fearless play. The Barcelona winger conquered his arch-rivals’ ground and even earned himself a standing ovation — practically unheard of for a Barca player. It was confirmation he would go to the Euros in Germany, if anyone needed it.
July 5, 2024: Assist for Dani Carvajal in opening game of the Euros
It didn’t take long for Yamal to make his mark at the tournament. Against Croatia in Spain’s first group game, he delivered a perfect cross for Madrid right-back Carvajal to make it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time.
Carvajal knew who to thank for his first Spain goal (Tullio Puglia – UEFA via Getty Images)
The ball was so special that Carvajal immediately sought out the winger for laying on his first goal for the national team in 45 appearances, pointing at him in recognition of his talent.
July 9, 2024: Youngest Euros goalscorer in the semi-final against France
There can be no doubt what the greatest moment in Yamal’s young career has been — his stunning goal to make it 1-1 in the semi-final against France and become the youngest Euros scorer ever.
🇪🇸 Magnificent Yamal! @Vivo_GLOBAL | #EUROPOTM pic.twitter.com/nFlMcvG3w7
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 9, 2024
The 21st-minute effort came at the perfect time for La Roja after Randal Kolo Muani’s opener, with Olmo scoring Spain’s second four minutes later. It meant Yamal silenced France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who said in the build-up that the winger would “need to show more than what he’s done so far in the tournament if he wants to be in the final”. Rabiot had a front-row seat for that spectacular finish and Yamal told the cameras, “Speak now!” once the game finished.
It helped book Spain’s place in the final and made clear this is Yamal’s Euros.
(Top photo: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Before joining The Athletic as a football writer, Laia Cervelló worked at Diario Sport reporting on FC Barcelona for four years. She has also worked for another four years for BeIN SPORTS Spain and GOLTV. She began her career as a journalist at 'betevé', the public television station in Barcelona, where she spent almost nine years.
