Lamine Yamal, one of the standout players for the Spanish national team in the 2026 World Cup, made some very personal statements this week in which he spoke about the pressure surrounding his meteoric career… and how he compares it to his parents' lives.
In an interview, the FC Barcelona forward downplayed the pressure attributed to him for being a star at just 18 years old, and shifted the focus to his family history: “Don’t put me in the position of being the pressure of ‘it’s easy what you’re living or whatever,’ I think there are people who have suffered more.”
To explain it, Yamal spoke directly about his parents: “My mother had me when she was 16 years old, and that's real pressure. My father had to go out and make a living, going out to collect things to bring food home.”
And he concluded with a clear idea: "So that's real pressure. All I have to do is play and make sure all the Spaniards are happy."
The statements came after the Round of 32 match in the World Cup, where Spain defeated Austria 3-0 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and in which Yamal was named the best player.
His family history helps to understand his words. His mother, Sheila Ebana, originally from Equatorial Guinea, worked as a waitress during her childhood. His father, Mounir Nasraoui, of Moroccan descent, took on various odd jobs, including painting buildings. They separated when Lamine was three years old, but both have been present in his life.
Yamal himself has also shared that for years he couldn't play on a youth soccer team due to the economic situation: "I wasn't signed up for soccer because my parents couldn't afford it. I played in the park with other kids." His luck changed when the director of the La Torreta club offered him a chance to play for free.
After the match against Austria, he was especially moved when talking about his family in DAZN, particularly when he saw his younger brother Keyne celebrating his goal: "It thrills me to see my brother happy, to see my mother living the life she has always wanted, and to see my friends. It's the biggest dream of a child."
About her brother, she even added a phrase that went viral: “I am in love with my little brother, I love him like a son.”
His father, Mounir Nasraoui, did not travel to the World Cup due to health reasons, as he suffers from epilepsy, which prevents him from taking long trips. Spain will face Portugal in the round of 16 on July 6 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
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