According to the FAZ, Lamine Yamal has long been a global superstar. At 18, the FC Barcelona forward has 36 million followers on social media – a level of popularity previously achieved only by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the Spanish national team has set up its World Cup base, people even recognize him at the supermarket.
Yamal’s career has been meteoric: he made his professional debut at 15, became a national team player at 16, and by 17 he was European champion and twice Spanish league winner. Many already see him as the legitimate World Player of the Year – even ahead of Ousmane Dembélé, who won the award in 2025. At the 2024 European Championship in Germany, Yamal broke several age records, including a dream goal in the semi-final against France.
But the past two years have brought not only glory. His fame has grown to the point where he now employs a personal driver. At the same time, injuries have piled up: since April, the forward has been sidelined with a thigh injury – an eight-week forced break. Now he is set to make his World Cup debut in North America and lead Spain to their first title since 2010.
Source: www.faz.net
