Lamine Yamal made headlines again on Tuesday while on international duty with Spain. The teenager was involved in all three goals as La Roja were held to a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu against Brazil.
Here's what makes Lamine almost unstoppable at the age of 16.
His confidence
It takes astronomical levels of confidence to step on the Camp Nou pitch to play for Barcelona at the age of 15. That's exactly how old Yamal was when he made his debut for Barca on April 29, 2023, against Real Betis. Barca won that game 4-0 and Yamal almost scored.
Since then, Yamal has developed into becoming one of the most important players at Barca, and now for Spain too. You can tell the youngster has no fear in his eyes when it comes to performing on the big stage.
Yamal's confidence is what allows him to express himself on the pitch instead of doing everything by the book. It's why defenders don't know how best to stop him. He could the same thing on the streets, in the rain or down the road and still have the same vibes. Yamal is just a pure footballer full of belief.
He's really strong
Let's face it, Yamal is stronger than he looks. The youngster has shown impressive durability by playing consistently without breaking down. This season, the young Spaniard has played 45 games for club and country.
Yamal's tensile strength is what allows him to bravely face defenders without being terrified of what happens next.
Take for example what happened in the opening minutes against Brazil, Yamal was hacked down by a brutal tackle but he managed to shake off the pain to win a penalty minutes later.
Yamal takes a boot to the ankle and resumes playing minutes later
This boy can dribble
How do you stop a left-footed winger who is fast, intelligent and takes advantage of your every move? They couldn't answer that question about Messi and they're struggling to do it with Yamal.
Yamal completes 3-5 successful dribbles per game. Each of those can end up with a penalty, an assist or a goal. That was what happened when Spain faced Brazil. Yamal won a penalty, assisted and delivered a pass that led to Spain's second penalty.
The thing is that Yamal continues to grow. Remember he's still a child at 16. In 10 years Yamal would only be 26. That's scary to think of.
Barcelona and Spain have a real gem on their hands. They just need to take care of him.
