The 2023/24 season will be long-remembered by FC Barcelona fans as the one during which a 16-year-old homegrown talent, Lamine Yamal, enjoyed his breakthrough.
In a very short career, the La Masia graduate has made it a habit of breaking record after record, be it with Barça or the Spanish national team.
With such a rapid rise to stardom, pressure and expectations are also bound to grow. But, so far, the teenage prodigy has shown no signs of being overawed by the biggest stage, displaying great maturity.
A special ovation
Already a regular for Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona, the 16-year-old Yamal is also carving out a spot for himself in the Spain starting XI under Luis de la Fuente.
The biggest indicator of that came this past Tuesday when the teenage sensation weaved his magic and danced around the Brazil defence during an international friendly.
Played at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s home, Yamal stood out as the best player on show on the night as Spain and Brazil played out a 3-3 draw.
The Barcelona wonderkid had a hand in each of the three goals that La Roja scored and when the time came for him to be taken off in the 93rd minute, the entire Santiago Bernabeu rose and gave him a grand ovation, a thunderous applause.
Achieving what very few have done
Even though he was playing for Spain on the night, it is not a normal occurrence for a Barcelona player to receive such an ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In fact, in history, only three Barcelona players – absolute legends of the game – Diego Maradona (1985), Ronaldinho (2005), and Andres Iniesta (2015) have managed to achieve such a feat.
And now, Yamal has forever etched his name alongside those greats by earning a well-deserved ovation at the home of the rivals.
With the La Liga El Clasico only a few weeks away at the Santiago Bernabeu, it is highly unlikely that Yamal might receive the same treatment.
But the Tuesday night of March 26, 2024, will always remain a special one for a 16-year-old who is very much in the nascent stages of his career and is bound for the top.
