Eye-opening stats of Barcelona forward show Luis de la Fuente is wrong in his assessment

In recent discussions, Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente highlighted an interesting statistic regarding the national team’s time commitment. 

He stated that the national team occupies 3.5 percent of the total calendar, according to a report from FIFA. This remark came on the heels of players expressing their frustrations about the intense scheduling they face. 

De la Fuente, for that matter, has consistently defended the necessity of the players’ involvement with the national team, frequently referencing a report from the CIES Football Observatory during press conferences. 

The picture is different for Yamal

While these statistics might provide a broad overview of the situation, they do not accurately reflect the experience of every player, particularly that of Lamine Yamal. 

The CIES report examines data over the past 12 years and encompasses 40 leagues worldwide. However, the findings do not align with the reality of Yamal’s experiences during his first two seasons as a professional footballer. 

1⃣st report of the @CIES_Football Summer Series ⛱️ on Match Calendar & Player Workload available with 2012-24 analysis & projections for 2024-28 🤓 While #EURO2024 & #CopaAmerica2024 nearing the end, worth reminding that national teams only account for 3.2% of all minutes played… pic.twitter.com/6eXSKHtZVS

— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) July 11, 2024

According to the report, while players typically spend about 3.2% of their time with their national teams, Yamal significantly exceeds this average. 

During the 2023-24 season, he participated in 23.2% of the matches with the Spanish national team. This season, although the percentage has decreased to 20.4%, it is still considerably higher than the norm.

Yamal’s appearances in numbers

To put these numbers into perspective, last season, Lamine played a total of 2,957 minutes across 50 games for FC Barcelona in all competitions. 

In contrast, his involvement with the national team saw him clocking in 893 minutes over 14 matches. This brings his total playing time to an impressive 3,850 minutes across 64 matches between his club and the national team. 

So far this season, Lamine has already accumulated 1,104 minutes: 879 minutes with Barcelona over 11 matches and 225 minutes with the Spanish national team in three games. 

The statistics clearly illustrate the significant commitment Yamal has made to both club and country, showcasing the demanding nature of his career at such a young age.