Yamal: Spain play the best football
La Roja prodigy on FIFA World Cup title aims, pressure, mentality and scoring on the game’s greatest stage.
There is a kind of effortless joy in the way Lamine Yamal plays, and that same ease carries through when he steps in front of the cameras. It was on full display when FIFA caught up with the Barcelona winger and Spain international, who is eagerly ticking off the days until his first FIFA World Cup™.
La Roja’s itinerary takes them to Atlanta and Guadalajara, but the 18-year-old is already looking beyond the group stage. If things go to plan, and he recovers from an injury that could see him miss their opener, Yamal will celebrate his 19th birthday in the USA while the Iberian giants would be preparing for the semi-finals, and edging towards the trophy he has dreamed of lifting since he was a child..
Lamine Yamal: Ever since I was a kid, it’s been the one tournament everyone watches. That’s what makes it special. Even if you’re not into football, your country is playing and suddenly everyone is out in the streets, watching together. That’s the beauty of the game. It gives me goosebumps to think I’ll be part of it.
I’d be nervous if I was doing something I didn’t know how to do. If I had a regular job, for instance – I’ve never had one, so I’d probably be worried about messing it up. But football is what I’ve always done; it’s what I know. So I try to enjoy it. When I see my parents in the stands, knowing they’re proud of me, it takes the pressure off. It’s a good feeling.
My game depends a lot on creativity, and when I’m not enjoying myself, it suffers. Everything feels a bit flatter, less inspired. But when I’m happy, like I was during the EURO, everything seems to click and I feel freer.
I always say it’s like being a superhero – everything falls into place. I’m faster, stronger, full of adrenaline. I feel like nothing can stop me. I’d love to reach that level at the World Cup.
It’s funny, because at the EURO it was the other way round. Nobody really had us down as champions, and that worked for us. Being the favourites doesn’t mean anything once you’re on the pitch. It doesn’t give you an edge or help you score more goals. You still have to take it match by match. There are a lot of strong teams – Argentina, France, Portugal, England – and everyone is at their best at the World Cup. For us, it’s about giving everything for Spain and trusting the way we play because, in my book, we play the best football.
The players we have, for a start. Spanish academies are the world’s best and produce top talent, and you can see that in the way we play. Of course, the World Cup is about winning, not just playing well. But we believe in our approach, and it’s been paying off.
I’d say proving people wrong. When you break through early, there are always doubts – that you’re too young, you’ll be a one-season wonder, you’re over-rated. For me, it’s about showing what I can do game after game. The World Cup will be a new test for me, and I’m really looking forward to it.
My goal isn’t to be compared to them; it’s to be mentioned alongside them. So that the next time you ask someone that question, my name will be in that group.
Exactly. I think that’s key. If you get caught up comparing yourself to others, you can shoot yourself in the foot. I want to find my own way, enjoy the game and give people something to smile about. And when I’m retired, I hope people still enjoy going back and watching me play.
Enjoy being a kid, because you’ve got two more World Cups to watch before you’re out there yourself [he laughs]. Savour this moment, remember what it feels like to play without thinking too much and to dream about scoring for Spain at a World Cup. Hold onto that feeling and trust that you’ll make it happen. Don’t stop dreaming.
Since the EURO, Gavi’s been joking that it’s the one record I can’t take off him. I’ll just have to go one better – become the youngest Spaniard to get a hat-trick at the World Cup. If I hit a second, I might give Gavi a little nod, because he’s only got one. But I’ll be going for all three.
I hope so. It’d be a dream come true for me.
The referee blows the final whistle and we’ve won. I don’t know by how many, but we’re champions. Then going back to Spain and celebrating with the fans. That’d be special.