Barcelona prodigy reflects on what went wrong last season – ‘That’s what we lacked’

Lamine Yamal has become the most talked-about prospect in Europe right now, especially following his blazing performances in Euro 2024.

Yamal was most notably the star for Spain, as he scored a brilliant goal that helped La Roja beat France to secure a place in the final of the European Championship.

Throughout the tournament, Yamal has shown an exceptional skillset, which can be attributed to his humble beginning as a street footballer.

Yamal reflects on his early days

In a recent interview with GQ (h/t MARCA), Lamine Yamal reflected on his days as a street footballer and how that has helped him hone his dribbling skills.

“When you learn to play in the street, in the end you have more resources, because it’s more street football, without so many rules, and that makes you more cunning compared to someone who has trained in a school,” Yamal said.

The Barcelona forward also shared an interesting anecdote, reflecting on a day when he forgot to bring his backpack on his first day at Barça.

“I left my backpack on the chair they had given me because young people don’t have a locker, I put on my boots and went to the gym because I didn’t want to be there, I was embarrassed,” recalled the youngster.

Yamal on the season gone by

Yamal went on to offer his thoughts on the season gone by, highlighting how Barcelona were unable to secure any trophy.

“I had the highest expectations because at Barça not winning a title is hard. I think we’ve had a lot of ups and downs, especially in La Liga. And we haven’t been consistent,” the forward said.

Lamine Yamal has already become a role model for many (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

Yamal was involved in a total of 17 goals in all competitions this past season, emerging as one of Barcelona’s most productive players. However, the forward downplayed his role due to the fact that the club were not able to secure a trophy.

“To win La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey or the Spanish Super Cup you have to be consistent, and that’s what we lacked. The fact that we haven’t won anything lowers my grade quite a bit, to be honest,” he said.

The Spaniard’s contributions, nevertheless, have made him one of the most talked-about footballers in the world right now, with the youngster even becoming a role model for many.

“When I was little I looked up to Messi or Neymar, and seeing that children now look up to me is amazing,” he said.

Yamal on playing for Spain

Shifting his focus back to Euro 2024, Yamal made it very clear that his dream was to always play for Spain.

Reflecting on Spain’s chances in the final, the Barcelona forward said, “We are very excited because, in the end, we are all very young. For many of us, it is our first Euro Cup. Hopefully we can win it.”

Finally, Yamal also revealed that he would have become a streamer if being a footballer was not an option.

“When the quarantine happened, live broadcasts on Twitch became fashionable, and streamers broadcasted playing games. I think that’s what I liked the most. If I hadn’t been a footballer, I would have been a streamer. But I’m staying as a footballer, to be honest,” he concluded.