‘Barça is the club of my life’: In CNN exclusive Lamine Yamal pledges long-term future to Barcelona after historic 2024
By Aleks Klosok and Amanda Davies, CNN
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — It’s the club where he’s made his name and where he wants to continue writing it long into the future.
Lamine Yamal and FC Barcelona is a partnership stretching back to when he first joined the famed La Masia Academy at the age of 7.
At 15, the prodigious forward would announce himself to the soccer world, becoming the club’s youngest debutant in La Liga. At 16, he would commit his immediate future to the Blaugrana with an astronomical buyout clause to the tune of over $1 billion.
Now at the age of 17, the wonderkid is ready to commit his long-term future to the Catalan giants.
“I don’t know when (the contract will be signed), but I believe it’ll be soon,” he exclusively told CNN Sport after winning the Emerging Player Award at the recent Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“In the end, Barça is the club of my life. I hope to renew my contract with them and to be with them as long as possible.
“I want to play in the Spanish league. I want to play for Barça, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.”
Bouncing back
In the immediate future, the Barça star is approaching a return to full fitness having missed almost a month with an ankle ligament injury sustained during last month’s shock league defeat to Leganés.
It was a blow not only to Yamal – who started the season strongly having made 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and assisting 11 – but coach Hansi Flick and the team as a whole.
Yamal’s absence subsequently coincided with Barça surrendering its lead at the top of La Liga to both Madrid teams, this despite recording its joint best start to a league season with a perfect seven wins from seven games.
The Blaugrana, though, have the opportunity to kick start their season in Saudi Arabia this week as they bid to win back the Spanish Super Cup, a trophy they lasted lifted back in 2023.
Barça faces off with Real Mallorca in Wednesday’s semifinal with Flick confirming Yamal is ready to play.
“It’s true that Hansi is a different coach. The style of play is different,” says Yamal, as he hopes to win a second major trophy with Barça. “We’ve looked to adapt to what he’s told us, and I think we’re doing it well.”
“In 2025, we’ll give it our all to win trophies, starting with the Spanish Super Cup and hopefully, it will be the best year of our lives.”
La Liga target
To help fulfill that dream year, Barça will be hoping to win back its La Liga crown and make big strides in Europe.
Having lifted the league title in the 2022-23 season, the reins were handed back to eternal rival Real Madrid last season.
The current season is shaping up to be a race for the ages with Los Blancos, Atlético Madrid and Barça involved in a tight, three-horse race.
When asked whether he believes the Catalans will win La Liga this season, Yamal emphatically responds: “Of course. No question.
“In the end, La Liga will be won against the teams we’ve previously lost to. I think it’s about focus. We’ve shown in the important moments that we are the best and we’ll continue to do so.”
On the European front, a strong showing in the league phase of the rebooted Champions League sees Barcelona currently second in the 24-team standings with two games remaining.
At worst, the club is guaranteed a spot in the play-offs, but will be seeking automatic progression with games against Benfica and Atalanta to come later this month.
Barça’s last showing in a Champions League final was 10 years ago with a victory against Juventus, as the famed ‘MSN’ trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar guided Barça to a fifth European crown.
With his blistering pace, close ball control and clinical finishing, Yamal is already drawing comparisons with Brazilian superstar Neymar.
“I was five years old when I saw him at Santos, but seven years old when I saw him in person at FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou,” he reminisces.
“It was incredible to see him. Yes, it’s true that (Lionel) Messi was there who was also incredible, but he was something totally different.
“Neymar has always been my idol. He’s a star, a football legend.”
Unforgettable 2024
Despite still being only 17, Yamal has already shown himself to be one of the hottest prospect in world soccer.
And if 2023 was a landmark year, it had nothing on an unforgettable 2024.
A year that bore witness to historic milestone after historic milestone being passed in devastatingly effortless fashion.
Domestically, he became the youngest to score in an El Clásico, feature in a Champions League knockout match and make 50 competitive appearances for Barça.
Internationally, Yamal became the youngest ever goalscorer in the European Championships, finalist in the tournament’s competition and – with Spain’s victory – winner of a major international trophy, surpassing the late great Pelé.
Even the smiley teenager is taken aback by the speed of his meteoric rise up the Beautiful Game’s ladder.
“It’s true that things have happened very quickly,” he says. “I don’t think this is normal for a teenager. I think it’s nice being the first teenager to be doing these things.
“In the end, I only think of the future. I only think of the good things that happen and that’s it. As my mother says, ‘Always enjoy the moment because everything goes by so quickly.’”
Schooling defenders … and homework
Indeed, Yamal is no ordinary teenager.
While the teenager was schooling defenders at last summer’s Euros, he was simultaneously doing his homework as a high school student.
A viral clip on social media showed the then 16-year-old studying for his ESO (Spain’s compulsory secondary education) exams: be it solving mathematical equations or honing his English grammar.
“I go to class and every day I get different homework,” he told the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) at the time. “Sometimes, they give me more to do at home, but I do it every day.
“If they see that we are in the quarterfinals or last-16 (in competitions), they don’t give me a lot of work, but on rest days, when he knows I’m not doing anything, he does tell me to do some bits and pieces,” he said about his teacher.
So, did the maestro with the ball also master the Spanish education system?
“I passed the ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education),” he tells CNN while smiling. “I was studying and playing, but the whole year has gone well.
“Winning the Euros, passing the ESO and now I’m calm. I’m fully focused on football and I’m going to continue in this way.”
The-CNN-Wire
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