Lamine Yamal keeps breaking records at FC Barcelona — this season he has accumulated 15 goals and 13 assists — yet at 18 he still approaches football with a child's enthusiasm. In an interview with ESPN (updated 10/02/2026 08:41 CET), he explained his immediate priorities and how he deals with life off the pitch.
Looking ahead to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, which starts in about five months, Lamine has a clear objective: to win with Spain again after the European Championship triumph. He faces his first senior World Cup with calm and confidence.
Spain were drawn into Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Two of Spain's group matches will take place in Atlanta and the third in Guadalajara. For Lamine, the trip includes a first visit to Mexico and the chance to taste local dishes such as tacos.
Off the field, he aims to keep life as normal as possible: spending time with friends, looking after his younger brother, playing PlayStation, going out for walks, riding a bike or skating. That everyday routine helps him manage the pressure of competing at the highest level week after week for Barcelona.
He avoids obsessing over football outside training, enjoys his days, gives everything when he steps onto the pitch, and then knows how to switch off afterwards. His performances are increasingly decisive in the toughest matches.
The interview also revealed lighter personal details. Lamine said he quit cooking classes because he was not good at them, though he can manage simple meals like nuggets with fries. Imagining a day without fame, he pictured breakfast on a terrace, a casual match in a park or at the Rocafonda sports centre, then a bike or roller outing with friends — everyday things that connect him to his childhood.
He recalled a modest upbringing where children played at school with Pokémon cards that cost about one euro and family circumstances did not allow for a PlayStation or Nintendo. Now a global face of a brand — even appearing in an advertisement during the Super Bowl — he still mentions a favourite Pokémon, Zygarde, and playfully assigns dressing‑room roles: Dani Olmo as Pikachu and Wojciech Szczesny as Charizard, because of his aura.
Between the World Cup dream, the ambition to keep winning with Barcelona and memories of Rocafonda, Lamine Yamal remains the same young man who simply wants to enjoy football and the simple pleasures of life.
