It has been just under two years since his debut in the senior competition, and Lamin Jamal already has a Spanish league title and, much more importantly, the title of European champion with the Spain national team in his trophy cabinet. His popularity is so great that, even as a 17-year-old, he earned his first documentary film about his development. Produced by DAZN, it aimed to present the Barcelona star in a different, more personal light.🎙️ Lamine Yamal on pressure and mindset while speaking to @DAZN_ES.🗣️: “Pressure doesn’t exist; it’s a mental thing. You just have to think about enjoying yourself. When you start playing from scratch, there’s no pressure at all. When you play badly, pressure becomes an excuse.… pic.twitter.com/mjFoEmpx93— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) March 14, 2025 For instance, we found out how a teenager deals with the pressure that comes with being one of the best footballers in the world: “When you start playing, there’s no pressure. When you play badly, it becomes an excuse. Pressure doesn’t exist; it’s just something you put in your head. If you don’t think about pressure, then you don’t have it. You have to focus, enjoy, have fun, and then there’s no pressure. That’s what I try to do,” Jamal said to DAZN.It sounds simple, though it’s not always easy. Jamal openly admits that he had a lot of help from Barcelona’s psychologists, especially when, as a member of the youth teams, he always played with older players. “It’s great when you progress quickly through the younger categories, but it’s not the same when, as a 14-year-old, you find yourself competing with 19-year-olds. At 14, you’re doing some silly things, while at 19, you’re paying for your own apartment or driving your mother’s car. The club’s psychologists helped me a lot, because, as you’d say, I was quite a little rascal,” he said.🎙️ Lamine Yamal on advancing through the ranks of La Masia, while speaking to @DAZN_ES.🗣️: “Moving up through the ranks is great, but if a 14-year-old is with a 19-year-old, it’s not the same. At 14, you do stupid things, while a 19-year-old is already paying for his own… pic.twitter.com/axUIxkYSxd— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) March 14, 2025 In the end, he had to mature quickly. Because when you become a social media star at such a young age, it can be harsh, especially when you’re not white. “In my first season, I did watch them, but when the whole story started before the European Championship, about how Nico Williams and I are not Spaniards, while Aymeric Laporte and Robin Le Normand are… I decided to stop watching them, and since then, I don’t follow anything. Though sometimes my friends tell me about it. Even in the media, when they praise you, it’s because you’re on their team; when they criticize you, it’s because you’re on the opposite team. What’s important is what your coach, your captains, your family, and everyone who wants the best for you say. That’s all that matters.””I remember that the first year I did look at comments on social media, but before the Euros, when people started saying that Nico and I weren’t Spanish, I stopped. Normally, when they say bad things it’s because they’re from the other team.”🗣️Lamine Yamal to DAZN. #Barca pic.twitter.com/KTGlEjBqfA— Football España (@footballespana_) March 14, 2025 With such a mindset, Jamal has managed to build a large fan base. He has a special influence on all immigrant children. “Because of my Moroccan roots, Moroccan kids look up to me, and now, because of the European Championship and being Spanish, kids do too. That makes me very proud.”Still, there are tough moments. For example, during El Clasico at the “Santiago Bernabeu” stadium, there were racial insults, but even those don’t weigh heavily on Jamal. “My mom was worried, she thought I would be sad. But I was very happy, we won 4-0. If we had lost, maybe I would have thought about why people are yelling this or that. You have to enjoy life. If someone insults you, it just shows that their values aren’t right. In the end, they were angry because they lost.”He is particularly grateful to his mother, because… “However hard it was for her, she protected me from all the bad things, so I only saw the best, and that allowed me to enjoy.”🎙️ Lamine Yamal on his mother’s influence while speaking to @DAZN_ES🗣️: “I always tell my mother that I am grateful to her because, despite how difficult things were for her, she made me not see anything bad and only made me see the beautiful, which allowed me to enjoy.” pic.twitter.com/lBsbvvQJ2Y— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) March 14, 2025 Especially when he’s on the field. “I’m creative, fun. I can play for a while without the ball, but when I get it, in a minute, I can do something exciting that will make you enjoy watching football.”After all, that’s how it is when you start playing—in the park. “When I started training, I didn’t know anything about game concepts. I came from the park, where we only played one-on-one. I would take the ball and not give it to anyone. My father later explained to me that I have to play with everyone, and that’s when I changed.”🎙️ Lamine Yamal on improving his dribbling.🗣️: “My dribbling technique is largely thanks to my dogs. When I went to training, my father would come and pick me up with my dogs, and since they weren’t on a leash, the dogs would chase the ball.” pic.twitter.com/9S45rkPBIc— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) March 14, 2025 The dribbling remained, and if you were wondering where it came from… “When I was coming back from training, my dad would come to pick me up with our dogs, and since they weren’t on leashes, they would chase the ball,” Jamal laughs, with a boyish smile on his face.But when it comes to football, he plays like a man.LA LIGA MATCHDAY 28Friday23:00: (2.85) Las Palmas (2.95) Alaves (2.75)Saturday16:00: (5.30) Valladolid (3.60) Celta (1.70)18:15: (1.85) Mallorca (3.40) Espanyol (4.60)20:30: (3.15) Villareal (3.75) Real Madrid (2.15)23:00: (2.05) Girona (3.50) Valencia (4.00)Sunday16:00: (3.80) Leganes (3.35) Betis (2.05)18:15: (3.15) Sevilla (3.20) Ath.Bilbao (2.55)20:30: (2.40) Osasuna (2.90) Getafe (3.45)20:30: (2.55) Rayo Vallecano (3.15) Sociedad (3.20)23:00: (3.30) Atl.Madrid (3.60) Barcelona (2.25)***odds are subject to change***
