Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal gets first senior Spain call-up
Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has earned his first Spain call-up at the age of 16 for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Cyprus.
Last season, he became the youngest player to appear for Barca’s senior team at 15 years, nine months, and 16 days old. Moreover, this season, Yamal has broken into the first team and has played in all three matches so far, starting two of them.
He was also named Man of the Match in the last game against Villarreal, which Barca won 4-3. Spain will play Georgia on Friday before hosting Cyprus on Tuesday, and Yamal might get minutes in both games.
His Barcelona team-mate Pablo Gavi is Spain’s youngest-ever player, as he made his debut aged 17 years and 62 days against Italy in October 2021. So, if Yamal plays in Spain’s qualifier against Georgia next week, he will break Gavi’s record.
Lamine Yamal gets first Spain call-up for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Cyprus
Last week, there was a meeting in Barcelona between Yamal and the officials of the Spanish football federation. They met him to convince him to play for Spain, as he also had the option of representing Morocco. However, he has decided to play for the Spanish national team.
“We met him in Barcelona. He was a stalwart of Spain’s youth teams and is a footballer with exceptional power. He looks like he has been touched by the wand of God. Yamal is different,” De la Fuente told reporters on Friday.
“We look at the level of the player, not the age. He is ready to compete at the highest level. He is a very important asset for the future.”
Meanwhile, Yamal will hope to start again for Barcelona against Osasuna in La Liga. He will join Spain’s squad to face Georgia on September 8 and Cyprus four days later.
