- Lamine Yamal lit up the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany
- The 17-year-old broke and set many records in the process
- This puts immense pressure on the teenager, leaving many to ask if he’ll be able to live up to his potential
The Euro 2024 has come and gone but the dust raised by the tournament still lingers in the air. Expectedly, it was attended by spectacle, fanfare, galore of goals and unveiling of numerous prospects.
One of such prospects that lit up Euro 2024 was the 17-year-old Spanish youngster, Lamine Yamal. Up until the penultimate day of the tournament, he was aged 16, making him the youngest to feature in the tournament and the youngest to score, among many other records. He ended the tournament with one goal and four assists.
For such a teenager to deliver on a global grand stage impressed many and his name has been effectively etched in the history books. His young age means that he still has a lot of years ahead of him, leaving him a long way to go to prove his talent and live up to the hype.
Yamal is a product of the legendary youth setup, FC Barcelona’s La Masia. The talent is seen by many - especially fans in the Catalonia region of Spain - as “God’s gift” who did not fail to live up to his potential at the just concluded Euros.
The 17-year-old of Moroccan descent showcased his brilliant level of skill through the tournament and is now being touted as the heir to fill the shoes of the legendary Barcelona player, Leo Messi. He is, however, fast living up to the hype as he shattered a long-standing record of the great Brazilian Pele to become the youngest-ever player at the Euros tournament. Appearing in all of La Roja’s seven Euro 2024 games is no small feat for any player at that age, “Superstar” Yamal has every reason to be proud of his impressive performance now, coupled with winning the “Euro 2024 Young Player of the Tournament.”
High expectations at La Masia: A tale of unfulfilled promises
Over the last 20 years, La Masia graduates face immense pressure very early in their career compared to their counterparts across other youth systems, this is perhaps due to the bar set by the likes of Iniesta, Xavi, Messi. However, not long ago, we have seen many players with the sensational ability and seeming potential just like the case of Lamine Yamal bow to pressure to immediately perform at a high level from the club and fans. Bojan Krkic, who was also touted by the Spanish media as the “next Messi” never quite lived up to the hype. He struggled with consistent performances, injuries- a player’s worst nightmare which resulted in him being loaned to several clubs in Europe. He currently plays for Japanese J1 League. Another product of La Masia who can arguably be regarded as a flop is Munir El Haddadi’s. Munir El Haddadi’s journey is another reminder that not every La Masia graduate will become a star. Despite his early promise, Munir struggled to meet the high expectations set for him at Barcelona. While his career is far from over at 28, he remains an example of the challenges young talents face in fulfilling their potential.
Weight of expectations on Lamine Yamal
Being a La Masia graduate trying to break into the Barcelona’s star-studded team in the last decade was a blessing but more of a curse as it was almost impossible to compete against players like Pique, Neymar, Suarez, Messi, Iniesta, and many more.
For Yamal, it’s now a different ball game. As Barcelona’s golden generation gradually fades away, he is set to embrace the new challenge. A chance for him to carve his own legacy even though he has heavy shoes to fill in. The future, however, looks very bright for the Spanish wonderkid.
