“My mother had me at 16 and my father picked things up from the street. Now that is pressure”: Lamine Yamal when he was asked if football was difficult

“I never put pressure on myself. There are people who have suffered more”

He is 18 years old, plays for Spain in a World Cup, and was already a key player at Euro 2024. But when asked about pressure, Lamine Yamal does not talk about goals or cameras.

In an interview with Cadena SER, before Spain’s match against Austria, the forward from Rocafonda, Mataró, was direct: “My mother had me at 16, now that really is pressure. Then my father had to go out and make a living, go pick things up from the street so he could bring food home”.

For him, playing football and making Spaniards happy cannot be compared with what his family went through to get ahead. A phrase that distances him from the stereotype of the young sports star and brings him closer to something much more real. ⚽❤️