A press colleague from Paris, Vivienne Walt, who writes for Time magazine, was in Barcelona in early 2018 writing a story about Barça. As part of her research, she focused inevitably on the wonder of Lionel Messi, 30 at the time, and smashing it. While ambling around the training paddocks at Barça’s celebrated youth academy, she asked a coach who was going to be Messi’s successor. The coach stopped and pointed at a scrawny, 10-year-old black kid. “See that boy there? He’s the one.” He was pointing at Lamine Yamal.

Barça have long known they had a winning lottery ticket. In April 2023, a 15-year-old Lamine Yamal became the club’s youngest La Liga debutant in history, one of several records the precocious winger has set. His name went around the world in the summer of 2024 when, as a 16-year-old, he scored the goal of the tournament in the European Championships semi-final, in a 2-1 victory for Spain against France, propelling his country towards their fourth continental title.

Last season, Yamal scored the goal of the tournament in the Champions League. In the first leg of a pulsating semi-final, he slalomed his way through Internazionale’s defence before chopping a curling shot, without needing a back lift, in off the post. Inter’s goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, stood, hands out, rooted to his feet like a man with no answers.

Yamal was irresistible last spring. For a couple of months, week in, week out, he was unplayable.