"It is a joy, not only for those of us from Barcelona, for all of us who like football" - Former Blaugrana man hails teenage star Lamine Yamal 

Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has showered praise on teenage Blaugrana sensation Lamine Yamal in a recent interview. At the young age of 17, Yamal has risen to become one of Barca's most significant players.

Lamine Yamal rose through the ranks of Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, before making his senior team debut in April 2023 in a LaLiga game against Real Betis. Considered among the most promising players in the world, Yamal is best known for his exceptional ball control and dribbling skills.

The 17-year-old gained international attention after performing exceptionally well in the 2024 Euros for Spain, leading them to the title. In 2024, Yamal stood eighth in the Ballon d'Or rankings and won the Golden Boy Award and the Kopa Trophy. In 75 appearances for Barcelona across competitions, Yamal has contributed 16 goals and 22 assists.

In an interview with MARCA, former Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic spoke highly of Lamine Yamal, describing him as a joy to watch.

"I did not know Lamine directly, but it is a joy, not only for those of us from Barça, for all of us who like soccer. It's crazy. I remember seeing Xavi in Berlin and he said, 'It's outrageous.' We see him only on the day of the game, but it is nice to hear this kind of thing from people who see him on a daily basis how he behaves, how he trains ... Barcelona has a world star for many years," Rakitic said.

Ivan Rakitic was at Barca from 2014 to 2020. The Croatian was notably a part of the Catalans' 2014-15 treble-winning squad. He contributed 35 goals and 42 assists in 310 appearances for La Blaugrana across competitions.

---

"Barça is the club of my life" - Lamine Yamal makes clear statement about staying at Barcelona

Lamine Yamal - Source: Getty

In a recent interview with CNN, Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal stated that he would like to stay at the club in the future. His statements came amid anticipation about his impending contract renewal at the club. Yamal said (via talkSPORT):

"I don’t know when (the contract will be signed), but I believe it’ll be soon. In the end, Barça is the club of my life. I hope to renew my contract with them and to be with them as long as possible. I want to play in the Spanish league. I want to play for Barca, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.”

Lamine Yamal's current contract runs until 2026, but a renewal is reportedly imminent. The youngster has been a regular starter for Hansi Flick and won his first title with Barca, the Supercopa de Espana, on Sunday. Barca beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the final with Yamal scoring the Catalans' first goal in the game.