Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana (born 13 July 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Known for his flair, chance creation, and long-distance curling goals,^{[citation needed]} he is regarded as one of the best players in the world.

Yamal was a member of the youth academy, La Masia, before breaking into the Barcelona first team squad in the 2023–24 season. He became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or (at age 17) and also won the Kopa Trophy in 2024 and 2025, presented to the best young player in the world. In the following season, he was integral to Barcelona winning a domestic treble of the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España. At 18 years old, Yamal finished as runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Yamal has represented Spain internationally at various youth levels, and made his debut for the senior team in 2023, becoming the youngest player to represent and score for the country at age 16. He was selected for UEFA Euro 2024, playing an important role in helping Spain win their fourth title, while also winning the tournament's Young Player Award. He holds multiple records in his international career, including the youngest player to appear in a UEFA European Championship final (at age 17), the youngest player in a European Championship (at age 16), and the youngest goalscorer in a European Championship (at age 16).

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana was born on 13 July 2007 in Esplugues de Llobregat, in the Barcelona metropolitan area in Catalonia, to waitress Sheila Ebana and building painter Mounir Nasraoui. Yamal's mother was born in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, and his father is from Larache, Morocco. They gave him a compound given name to honour two people, named Lamine and Yamal, who helped them financially shortly before their son was born. Yamal is a Muslim.

His parents separated when he was three, although both remained present through his childhood. The family had lived in Mataró, but around the time of his parents' separation, Yamal's mother moved to Granollers, where Yamal started playing football at the local club La Torreta at the age of four. He would alternate between both cities to spend time with his parents. With his father in Mataró, Yamal grew up in Rocafonda, a neighbourhood described by El País as "forgotten, isolated and stigmatized"; he celebrates goals by making a gesture of the number 304, the last digits of the local postcode 08304. Following his success, his popularisation of the number has been credited with bringing pride and recognition to the working class community of Rocafonda.

At six years of age, Yamal was scouted by Barcelona and was invited to training sessions at La Masia, signing for the club in 2014 moving to Barcelona to live and train at the academy. Growing up, Yamal's footballing idols were Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and Neymar. In July 2025, Spain's Ministry of Social Rights asked the country's prosecutor's office to investigate Yamal, after it was alleged that he had hired several people with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party.

Yamal has a younger half-brother named Keyne (born 2022) and a younger sister named Baraa. On 14 August 2024, Yamal's father was stabbed in a car park in Mataró; his injuries were minor, and he was discharged from hospital three days later. Police arrested four people involved in the attack.

Growing up through the youth ranks of La Masia, Yamal was soon viewed as one of the academy's best prospects. Initially added to the Juvenil A team – already above his age grade – for the 2022–23 season, Yamal was selected by Xavi to train with the first team along with other youngsters in early September 2022. While still yet to sign his first professional contract with the club, he appeared to be one of the academy members to most impress the coach.