Young Prince Lamine Yamal Embracing The Pressure Of Joining Barcelona’s Kings | Sid Lowe

Heavy is nan caput that wears nan crown but Lamine Yamal is consenting to deterioration it. Willing? He wants to, truthful location he was connected Saturday nighttime conducting his ain coronation. With nan past touch of Barcelona’s first crippled of 2025-26, their caller No 10 – nan subordinate handed a six-year statement and nan garment Ladislao Kubala, Luis Suárez, Diego Maradona, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi wore, nan kid Spain coach Luis del la Fuente claimed was “touched by nan wand of God”, nan baby Messi bathed – scored against Real Mallorca.

It was his first extremity arsenic an adult; it was besides exactly arsenic you ideate it, Lamine Yamal scoring nan Lamine Yamal extremity that was Messi’s once. He had travel successful from nan correct and then, erstwhile nan shot settled successful nan corner, went backmost retired again. Where, stopping earlier nan Son Moix stands, he lowered an invisible crown to his head, a connection of intent for this play and beyond.

An opening play that is not complete yet – Elche play Betis connected Monday night, Real Madrid look Osasuna connected Tuesday – brought contention contempt nan preamble of specified captious changes to nan refereeing building arsenic calling nan officials by their first sanction and 1 surname not two, which meant José Luis Munuera sewage blamed successful Mallorca alternatively of Munuera Montero. It brought triumph for Rayo Vallecano, courtesy of comical errors from nan Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, and for Getafe successful Vigo wherever Christantus Uche went each original Ronaldo. It brought nan capital’s different squad to their knees, nan caller Atlético Madrid ending up for illustration nan aged one, beaten 2-1 astatine Espanyol, whose coach Manolo González was erstwhile virtually employed to parkland nan autobus and has ne'er mislaid to Diego Simeone. And it brought aged faces back, past defeated them both, promoted Real Oviedo losing astatine Villarreal and Levante astatine Alaves.

Above all, though, it brought 3 moments, 3 men. Because if location was a coronation successful Son Moix connected Saturday, a coming of property a period connected from Lamine Yamal’s 18th birthday, nan nighttime aft location was redemption astatine “the Cathedral” wherever Athletic Club’s Nico Williams was reconciled pinch nan congregation. And nan nighttime earlier astatine nan Estadio de la Ceramica location was, well, what would you telephone this? Some benignant of perfection, perhaps? On Friday, aged 40, aft 12 operations and 10 centimetres taken from his achilles, Santi Cazorla made his first quality successful primera for Oviedo, nan nine he ever wanted to play for, nan 1 he first joined astatine 8 and rejoined astatine 38 connected nan minimum wage, yet taking them backmost to nan first section 24 years later. And he did truthful against nan squad that made it each imaginable successful nan first place.

Lamine Yamal enjoys nan acclaim and welcomes nan unit of emulating immoderate of Barcelona’s top players. Photograph: Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Some clip successful 2015 erstwhile he was successful nan midst of nan wounded that should person ended everything, tegument many times splitting unfastened and infection seeping out, nan operations endless and nan days erstwhile he was fresh to ditch it each countless, a portion of his limb grafted connected to his heel, a new tendon made pinch rolled-up hamstring, Cazorla was told to settee for being capable to locomotion astir his plot – and now he was. Thirty-thousand group were location to spot it, each of them opinionated and applauding, immoderate crying, astir singing, arsenic he went connected to look Villarreal, wherever he played his first ever master game, 22 years ago. Where he had played 333 much of them and where, he said, they had treated him “like their son”.

He had needed them to. Cazorla arrived astatine Villarreal arsenic an 18-year-old successful 2003, forced to time off location erstwhile Oviedo collapsed, relegated, dropping 2 tiers successful 1 go, successful debt, abandoned and connected nan verge of disappearing for ever. Just arsenic nan chance to make his debut mightiness person come, a decade aft he had arrived, it was taken distant again. Villarreal came for him then, a shy, timid boy astatine nan time. When Arsenal released him successful 2018, assuming it was each over, they were location for him again, giving him spot to train, to effort to recover. Which, a stubborn so-and-so down nan smile, he did. He played 86 games and sewage another Spain telephone astatine 34.

There was conscionable 1 point near to do; nan 1 point he had ever wanted to. So, having accepted nan pain, ignored nan proposal to time off it, he returned to Oviedo connected a mission: get them backmost to primera for nan first clip since 2001. It took 2 years, it took him scoring successful nan playoff semi-final and last too, but they made it. Where they returned gave it thing extra: backmost among friends, astatine Cazorla’s different home, thing treatment astir watching him heading connected pinch 10 minutes near of a crippled that was already mislaid but for his nine against 1 he helped make great. “This was very special,” Cazorla said.

Santi Cazorla soaks successful nan invited from Oviedo and Villarreal fans earlier nan former’s first crippled backmost successful nan apical formation for 24 years. Photograph: Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Which was much than Nico Williams could opportunity 2 nights later erstwhile he came disconnected nan San Mamés transportation successful nan 82nd infinitesimal of an bonzer game, an ovation accompanying him to nan bench. “I don’t moreover cognize really to picture this feeling,” Athletic’s winger said. He had gone off, nan cramp clawing astatine his calves, having fixed everything. Athletic were connected people to conclusion Sevilla 3-2 and Williams had provided 2 assists, some brilliant, won nan punishment from which he scored nan different and deed a post. After a summertime successful which he had appeared connected nan verge of leaving for Barcelona only to stay, signing a 10-year contract, and successful which nan mural featuring him and his relative had been vandalised, he had needed this.

There was thing treatment present too, particularly successful nan infinitesimal he scored nan penalty, his relative Iñaki, who is something for illustration his begetter too, opinionated location connected nan punishment spot pinch nan shot nether his limb and his hands connected his hips, wearing nan look of a genitor waiting for their boy to get home. All astir San Mamés they chanted Nico’s name, demanding that he return it, truthful Nico smoothed down his hairsbreadth and headed across. Iñaki handed him nan shot and kissed him. Nico scored, and each was good pinch nan world. All that was missing was a break successful nan cloud, a biblical ray of sunshine and heavenly music, El Correo wrote. “There’s a logic I stayed,” Nico said.

There had been a logic to go, too. Lots of them successful fact, but 1 stood out: to play with his world teammate and newfound champion mate, his different “brother” – a younger 1 this time. The 3rd man to people nan opening weekend, nan kid who reached a European Championship last astatine 16, nan youngest Clásico goalscorer successful history, a leader before his time and group to people a generation, already nan champion successful nan world astatine 17.

Which is simply a stupid point to say. Not conscionable stupid; irresponsible. Another young subordinate loaded pinch pressure, not allowed to conscionable bask it. Just time off him alone. Have you forgotten Ansu Fati? But, well, it is Lamine Yamal who says it, Lamine Yamal who embraces it. It is location successful nan things he says: successful him publically leaving Adrien Rabiot successful checkmate. Saying nan Ballon d’Or will come, promising to beryllium backmost for nan Champions League, turning to nan camera and declaring himself unstoppable. In nan cheek, nan glint successful his eye; yes, nan cockiness. The Instagram and a arguable day statement too, and nan bling and things which group propulsion astatine him, but he doesn’t care, consenting to bring nan attraction connected himself, not hide. “For arsenic agelong I win, they can’t opportunity anything,” he said, and mostly he does because if it’s location successful what he says, it’s location successful what he does too.

And it is genuinely difficult to deliberation of anyone who has done this, anyone who does do this. By nan clip he sewage nan extremity connected Saturday night, nan crippled was already done. Mallorca had been 2 goals and 2 men down since nan first half, 2 men sent off. Then Lamine Yamal evaded 2 players, three, four, and bent nan shot into nan net. El Mundo Deportivo called it his ain individual show. It was, Eric Garcia said, nan aforesaid extremity he scores successful training each game; it was nan aforesaid seen successful truthful galore games already: the extremity that won past year’s title and a campaigner for this season’s champion already. You cognize what’s coming but you still can’t extremity it.

Nico Williams had a turbulent summer, pinch a imaginable transportation to Barcelona, but showed he had re-established his narration pinch Athletic supporters successful nan opening crippled astatine nan weekend. Photograph: Ander Gillenea/AFP/Getty Images

He doesn’t ever return nan aforesaid route, not slightest because his expertise pinch nan extracurricular of his footwear allows him to move outwards excessively to driblet nan shot connected a teammates’ head. Here, he had completed much dribbles than anyone, taken much shots and made much chances. He took nan free-kicks, excessively – that’s new. He took 2 minutes to find a measurement done everyone and conscionable 5 much to supply a cleanable assistance for Raphinha to score, done pinch an easiness that made it look arsenic if he was messing about. It was moreover his changeable that led to nan 2nd extremity soon after, Antonio Raillo crumpling to nan level erstwhile he blocked it pinch his caput and still down erstwhile Lamine Yamal recovered Ferran Torres who thumped it into nan net. It was besides an outrageous tally from nan halfway statement to nan separator of nan area that ended pinch Mateu Morey bringing him down and getting nan first of 2 reddish cards.

Lamine Yamal had wanted a extremity of his own. When it yet came he had conscionable been confronted by Jan Salas. “As soon arsenic that happened, I knew he would score,” Garcia said, laughing astatine nan inevitability of it all. Angering him isn’t a bully idea, which is what Pep Guardiola utilized to opportunity astir that guy, yet different echo found. “I didn’t for illustration comparing Messi to Maradona, but Messi didn’t make it easy; I don’t for illustration comparing Lamine to Messi but Lamine doesn’t make it easy either,” Jorge Valdano said. On nan opening time of nan season, an big now and fresh to reign, Lamine Yamal did it his measurement again, putting nan shot successful nan nett and nan crown connected his head.