A teenager who already thinks like a star

At just 18 years old, Lamine Yamal is already the No. 10 for both Barça and the Spanish national team, a Silver Ball winner, and one of the brightest names in world football. In an in-depth conversation with CBS, the La Masia product made one thing very clear: he isn’t afraid of the “star” label—he enjoys it. And he has a very unique way of understanding pressure, records, and his own future.

“I’ve never felt pressure playing football,” he repeats. For him, real pressure is what his parents faced: working, supporting the family, making ends meet. Football, instead, is his safe place. “I just try to enjoy,” he says. And when asked whether he minds being considered a star, the answer is as direct as it gets: “No, not really. I actually like it.”

No fear of the spotlight or expectations

Far from slowing down, Lamine confronts the debate about whether he’s “moving too fast” with a simple metaphor: if your job offers you a promotion, would you say no? For him, it’s not about hitting the brakes—it’s about being ready for the role football is already handing him.

He also challenges the usual talk about goals and expectations. “Expectations are bad,” he says. When you meet them, there’s nothing left to aim for; when you don’t, they can crush you. His formula is different: unwavering self-belief and constant forward movement. “I have the confidence in myself that I can achieve whatever I want,” he states—pure ambition, built from calm, not anxiety.

Playing to enjoy… and to inspire a generation

In a football world obsessed with stats, Lamine insists he doesn’t step onto the pitch thinking about “scoring four goals and giving three assists.” His checklist is different: enjoy, try what he learned the day before, do in a stadium what he used to do in the park, and have fun with his teammates. If the goals and viral moments follow, even better.

His real goal isn’t “breaking every record” or “scoring a million goals.” What drives him is something else: making kids want to be like him, and helping a fan who arrives to the stadium feeling sad go home a little happier after watching him play. He defines himself as “an athlete who entertains,” someone who plays to put on a show. He embraces greatness, but redirects it toward the impact he wants to have on people.

Rocafonda, resilience, and the mindset of a star

Lamine’s mentality cannot be understood without his roots. He grew up in Rocafonda, a humble neighborhood where football was the great escape. That’s where he learned perspective. He says he has never gone to bed devastated: when things go wrong, he thinks about what’s good and promises himself that the next day will be better. That resilience is what allows him to shake off a bad game… and keep demanding the ball.

This is also why he never holds back when faced with three defenders. Even then, he doesn’t believe he’ll lose the ball. His game is about taking on opponents, taking risks, and trying to solve plays for the team while putting on a show. If he stops doing that, he feels he would become “another type of player,” one that doesn’t represent who he truly is.

Messi as inspiration—but a path of his own

On the football side, Messi occupies a special place in his imagination. As a kid, Lamine wasn’t obsessed with dribbling; he paid more attention to Messi’s assists and Modric’s outside-the-boot passes. Today, he still considers Messi “the best in history” and speaks about mutual respect.

But he’s also clear: he doesn’t want to be a copy. He doesn’t wear the No. 10 “because of Messi,” he doesn’t want to play like him, and he refuses to live trapped in comparisons. He wants his own path, his own style, his own identity. The ambition is there—he knows he can go far—but his obsession isn’t becoming the next Messi; it’s becoming a unique figure in football.

A star who embraces the weight of the moment

Through lines that could sound provocative coming from another player, Lamine Yamal reveals a very specific profile: a young star who doesn’t run from the spotlight, who doesn’t dramatize pressure, and who feeds off the joy of the game, not the noise around it. He likes the attention—yes—but only if it comes with enjoyment, honesty, and connection with people.

In a football world that often devours its prodigies, he stands out as something else: an 18-year-old who knows he can’t live a “normal” life, but tries to make the most of the one he has. And if along the way he breaks records, lifts trophies, and defines an era, it will be the result of something he’s always known how to explain simply: play, have fun, and make people want to watch football again because of him.