Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, born on July 13, 2007, is a Spanish footballer from Catalonia. He plays as a right winger for Barcelona in La Liga and the Spain national team. Many consider him one of the top young talents globally.
Lamine was born in Esplugues de Llobregat, a suburb of Barcelona, to Sheila Ebana, a waitress, and Mounir Nasraoui, a painter. His mother is from Bata, Equatorial Guinea, and his father is from Larache, Morocco. His parents separated when he was three but remained involved in his life. After the separation, Lamine moved to Granollers with his mother and started playing football at the local club, La Torreta, at the age of four. He often traveled between Granollers and Mataró to see both parents. He grew up in Rocafonda, a multicultural neighborhood in Mataró. Lamine celebrates goals by showing the number 304, representing the local postcode 08304.
At six, FC Barcelona scouted Lamine and invited him to train at their academy, La Masia, where he signed in 2014. He quickly stood out as one of the academy's best prospects. In the 2022-23 season, although still in the youth team, he was selected by coach Xavi to train with the first team.
Lamine made his first-team debut on April 29, 2023, in a 4-0 win against Real Betis, becoming the fifth-youngest player in La Liga history at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days. He also became the youngest player to appear for Barcelona's first team in over a century. He won his first La Liga title with Barcelona on May 14, 2023, but missed the celebration due to international duty.
In the 2023-24 season, Lamine started his first match for Barcelona on August 20, 2023, in a 2-0 win over Cádiz, receiving a standing ovation when subbed off. He was named Man of the Match in a 4-3 victory over Villarreal on August 28, 2023, and won the inaugural U23 Player of the Month award for August. Lamine made his Champions League debut on September 19, 2023, in a 5-0 win over Antwerp. He extended his contract with Barcelona until 2026 on October 2, 2023, with a buyout clause of €1 billion. He scored his first goal for Barcelona's first team on October 8, 2023, in a 2-2 draw against Granada and made his first El Clásico appearance on October 28, 2023.
On January 11, 2024, Lamine scored in a 2-0 win over Osasuna in the Supercopa de España semi-final, becoming the youngest player to score in the competition. He also scored in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on January 25, 2024, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition's history. He scored his first brace on February 11, 2024, in a 3-3 draw against Granada. Barcelona finished second in La Liga and reached the Champions League quarter-finals in the 2023-24 season.
During this season, Lamine broke several records for Barcelona, including being the youngest starter, the youngest to record an assist, the youngest to score for Barcelona and in La Liga, and the youngest player to score a brace in La Liga. He also became the youngest player to register more than 10 goal contributions in La Liga.
Lamine is a left-footed forward known for his excellent passing and chance-creating abilities. He can play as a center-forward, attacking midfielder, or winger, mainly on the right flank. He often plays with his left foot and can curve the ball towards the post. Lamine has been compared to Lionel Messi and has cited Neymar as a major influence on his playing style.
Photo with thanks:
dantri.com
