The 15-year-old has been tipped for the very top of the game for a number of years, and has now broken into Xavi's first-team squad at Camp Nou
It takes something special to be the youngest Barcelona player ever named in a matchday squad. The club's famed La Masia academy has yielded some true legends of the game, but none of them — not Lionel Messi, Xavi or Carles Puyol — cracked the first-team earlier than Lamine Yamal has.
Yamal won't turn 16 until July, but he's been around the Barca senior squad for a while now. Xavi called up the winger to train with his team last year, and he's clearly impressed enough to earn a crack at the big time, having been named on the bench for Sunday's meeting with Atletico Madrid.
Yamals' performances at youth level have already led to dreaded Messi comparisons, not least because Yamal is a talented inside forward with a wonderful left foot.
But he's proved himself a potential star in his own right, carving out a path different to that of La Masia's biggest legend.
So, who is Yamal, and why is he in Xavi's first-team plans at such a young age? NXGN takes a closer look at the Barcelona's latest jewell…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Yamal joined Barcelona at just five years old after scouts from La Masia spotted the youngster. He is the son of a Moroccan father and Guinean mother, but grew up in Mataro, a suburb of Barcelona.
Yamal was identified as a top talent early on, and was playing three or four years above his own age-group from early in his football development.
Since then, he has been rapidly accelerated through the Barca ranks, and tested with far older players from as early as possible. It certainly didn't hurt that the young player was a left-footed right-winger with a skill set similar to that of a club legend.
He was playing Under-16s football at just 13, tearing through the league with relative ease, and Barca knew they had someone special on their hands.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
In the summer of 2022, Yamal skipped a whole age group, and was installed into Barca's U19s squad. Although he wasn't an immediate starter for the Juvenil A team, Yamal began to catch the eye with a string of star showings.
The one that stands out most was his brace against Ebro on September 10, as he became the youngest Barcelona player ever to score in a Juvenil A game — eclipsing a record previously held by Ansu Fati.
After his memorable performance, Juvenil A coach Oscar Lopez highlighted Yamal's quality: "He is always asking questions, he has a very good predisposition to evolve. You have to treat him calmly and not rush."
It was that showing which convinced Xavi to call Yamal up for first-team training for the first time.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Yamal is yet to crack the first-team proper. However, since September, the Spaniard has been training with Xavi's side and playing for Juvenil A.
He's made relatively easy work of his U19 opponents, racking up plenty of goals and assists. Most recently, he bagged a brace against Mallorca, including a fine run and strike reminiscent of another left-footed Barcelona youth product.
There have been some blemishes, though. Yamal was sent home from the Spanish youth national team camp after allegedly getting into an altercation with team-mates — and faced disciplinary action from Barcelona as a result.
That did not stop him from being called-up by Xavi to take his place in the matchday squad against Atletico, and though he did not make it onto the pitch at Camp Nou, he will again be involved when the Blaugrana face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.
Biggest strengths
Yamal is a forward or winger, and is at his best cutting in from the right onto his stronger left foot.
While Barcelona have tried him at numerous different positions, Yamal has been most effective out wide — although he can play through the middle if needed.
He's an excellent dribbler, considered the best in La Masia by some distance, and is adept at accelerating away from defenders.
The 15-year-old has also been praised for his shooting ability, and vision in the final third. As such, he has developed the kind of highlight reel usually reserved for those far older than him.
There's a reason that Xavi has called Yamal into the Barca ranks at such a young age: the club view him as a near perfect all-round forward who has earned a crack at the next level.
