Sam Marsden
Moises llorens
April 8th, 2025, 12pm
Lamine Yamal told ESPN he “feels like he’s playing professional evolution football.” [sic]”Like the teenagers are targeting high-pitched pitches with Barcelona this season.
The 17-year-old scored 13 goals, provided 19 assists this year, and kept Barça alive in three tournaments that took part in the final stretch of the campaign.
Barca leads Lariga in 4 points and eight matches, playing against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Finals on April 26th, and welcomes Borussia Dortmund to the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
“I’m one of those people who always trust my team,” Yamal told ESPN when asked if the Treble story was premature. “From the beginning of the season, I have always been aiming for the biggest.
“So if you can win the high notes at the start of the season, that’s the purpose. It’s still not different, not for confidence or anything like that.
“If another team says they’re going to win, we can win the treble because we don’t know why you play to go out on the pitch. We’re Barca. We’ve already achieved that. [in 2009 and 2015] – Hopefully, I can do it again. ”
It’s been two years since Yamal made his debut for Barca as a 15-year-old. Since then, he has been the youngest debutant and scorer in Spain history in the backstage of the net and the Champions League knockout round at Lariga, and the youngest player to find a European champion in his country last summer.
He says the pressure to be involved in some of the biggest football games hasn’t bothered him, and has risen rapidly with playing video games.
Ramin Yamal has been in a sparkling shape for Barcelona this season. David Ramos/Getty Images
“It’s like a dream,” he added. “I’m still thinking about it. If we reach the Champions League final, we’ll be playing the Copa del Rey final, [Clásico] The final world cup of the month [next year with Spain] …It’s all like a dream.
“It’s as if I was playing PES. It’s incredible. When I go home and say, ‘Pffff played in the Euro final,’ it’s incredible.
“I won’t [notice the pressure]. I’m trying to enjoy myself. I don’t think much about other things. Also, I don’t think much about the games I’m playing, what I’m doing tomorrow, if it’s more important, [than others].
“Obviously I know I’m playing for Barca. I know the importance of that, but I don’t think about pressure. I play and enjoy myself… that’s it.”
What’s noteworthy is that Yamal has become an important player for both the club and country.
He played 3,448 minutes for Barca in all competitions this season – only Jules Cound, Pedri and Rafinha played more – and began the final 21 matches for the Catalan club.
Exposure to so many football at such a young age has led to some calls for him to rest more, but Yamal says he feels healthy towards the final two months of the season.
“[I’m feeling] “So good,” he said. “I think one of the things I’ve learned this year is how to manage myself. Some people say, ‘Why not move in for 10 minutes?’ But at the end of the day there are always moments when you don’t have to run.
“You need to know how to know what you have to do during the game, during the season, during training… I think that’s what I’ve learned, and to be honest, I’m doing really well.”
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Yamal’s contract expires in 2026, but he has previously confirmed he will sign a new long-term contract.
He hopes this is just the beginning of a long career with Barça.
“That’s a tough question,” he said when asked ten years later where he was. “[I’ll be] 27 [years old] …I think I’ll go between the training ground and my house and then go back to the training ground, just like I do now. ”
