Yamal finally made his debut for the Blaugrana at the age of 15 and, having turned 18 in the summer of 2025, he is now locked in a lucrative contract.
Yamal contract: The teenager commits to the future with FC Barcelona
Barca’s initial work with Yamal was largely based on trust, with the Catalan club having to convince the young talent that they were in the best place to continue their progress. The La Masia training center is renowned for producing players who become global superstars.
Yamal is certainly following this path, and comparisons with Lionel Messi have been flying since his obvious potential was spotted. Records have been falling around the Spain international, and this is only the beginning. FC Barcelona has done everything possible to take advantage of its current talent and its future progression.
Why did FC Barcelona have to postpone Yamal’s professional debut?
Cruyff helped make this possible. The Barca icon’s son Johan Cruyff worked with Yamal and his family when he was sporting director at Camp Nou. He knew that the Catalan club held one of football’s greatest hopes in its hands.
Repelling the advances of competing clubs was not easy. Jordi Cruyff told SPORT: “ There was a risk that Lamine would leave Barça. We postponed his debut until we were sure we could take him on. He is exceptional. The club is there to take care of him. I’m no longer involved. »
Cruyff had already told Movistar Plus that he had delayed Yamal’s debut in the first team, which could have taken place earlier if those responsible for his training had won their case: “In his first training with the first team, after five minutes the coach, who was none other than Xavi, looked at us and said: ‘He’s something special’. I wanted to start him earlier, but we didn’t have a contract with him yet. So we first had to ensure that he would be with us for many years. Even veterans recognized he was different, a rare player. »
