Without a word, but with a symbol. Lamine Yamal shared a cult image on his networks: Diego Maradona in 1983, dressed in the legendary jersey n ° 10 of Barça. No explicit legend. Just a strong visual message, which made Catalan supporters jump. The young winger has not yet formalized anything, but the wink has escaped anyone. Spain of football already brushes an insistent rumor: the 17 -year -old kid is preparing to assume the heaviest heritage of Camp Nou.
The 10 cursed from Barça: Will Yamal break the chain?
Since Messi's departure in 2021, this number so desired has turned into a trap. Ansu Fati had been designated as the elected official. Hope of the club, raw talent … and fragile body. Too fragile. Between injuries, relapse and pressure, the Spaniard finished loaned, then pushed towards the exit. Before him, other young talents like Bojan Krkić flanked under the weight of comparisons. Even older names like Riquelme or Rivaldo have not escaped the controversies linked to the sacred of the 10 Catalan.
And yet Lamine Yamal is not a mirage. At just 17 years old, he literally punctured the screen during the 2024-2025 season. Author of 18 goals and 25 assists, he played a central role in the domestic hat -trick won by Barça. Even more impressive, he has accumulated more than 4,300 minutes of play throughout the exercise, a total that makes him the most used player in Europe. This precocity, as fascinating as it is, nevertheless raises a fundamental question: can we take so much light, so many expectations, without risking burning the wings? Because in the recent history of the club, the examples of wonders propelled too early towards the summits did not fail … and not all of them came out unscathed.
Projectors, sponsors, expectations. Yamal is already under contract at 10 million euros per year with Nike. In an interview in 2023, Bojan confided: “I was a child. I was launched too early. »» The parallel is cruel. Beyond talent, mental resistance will make the difference. And Barça knows it better than anyone.
A secret ceremony for a sacred number
The club prepares behind the scenes a symbolic announcement: the “Yamal 18 Event”. The idea? Wait for your birthday to formalize the number transfer. Problem: July 13 falls on a public holiday in Catalonia. Nothing has yet stopped. But the countdown is launched. It will be the moment of truth.
If he breaks the curse, Barça will have found his new God. Otherwise, the 10 will remain the heaviest number in modern football.
