Lamine Yamal Leads Barcelona to LaLiga Glory, Eyes More Trophies

By Gyang Dakwo

Lamine Yamal says winning is always on his mind after playing a key role in helping Barcelona secure the LaLiga title on Thursday, completing a domestic treble in Hansi Flick’s first season as head coach.

Yamal, just 17 years old, opened the scoring with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box as Barca defeated city rivals Espanyol 2-0. The victory put Barcelona seven points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid with only two matches left, making it impossible for their rivals to catch them.

This LaLiga title follows triumphs in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa earlier in the season, with Barcelona beating Madrid in both finals. It marks a highly successful debut campaign for Flick, who replaced Xavi Hernandez last summer.

After the match, Yamal told ESPN that winning the league is a dream come true and a huge moment in his young career. However, he made it clear that this is only the beginning of what he hopes will be a long and successful journey.

“Winning LaLiga with Barca is incredible, but this is just the beginning of what we want to achieve. The message to supporters is that this is just getting started. It is impossible to tire of winning. I have it permanently on my mind.” Yamal said.

Despite only turning 18 in July, Yamal is quickly building an impressive trophy collection. Along with two LaLiga titles, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa, he also won the UEFA European Championship with Spain last summer. The only major trophies missing from his growing list are the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup.

This season, Yamal has contributed 17 goals and 25 assists, drawing comparisons to Barcelona greats like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldinho. While he appreciates the praise, Yamal is focused on carving out his own identity.

“The objective is to achieve my success, I want to be myself, write my own story, and be my own player. I do not look at other players. Of course, I would love to have that level of success, but I want to have my career.” he added.

In a separate interview with Barca One, Yamal also took a moment to thank former coach Xavi Hernández, who gave both him and 18-year-old defender Pau Cubarsí their first-team debuts.

“We are grateful to Xavi because without him, none of this would have happened. he is the one who handed debuts to so many young players, and we want to thank him for that,” Yamal said.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta praised Yamal as one of the most talented players the club has ever seen and compared his importance to that of Ronaldinho and Messi in their early years at the club.

“He is one of the chosen few who will have a truly unique career in this game, assigned only to the best players ever,” Laporta told reporters. “He has an innate talent. He is happy at Barça and has a project which revolves around him, like Ronaldinho and Messi before him. He is surrounded by great players.”

Laporta also confirmed that an agreement is in place for Hansi Flick to extend his contract beyond 2026. Sources say the German coach is expected to sign a new deal that will keep him at the club until at least 2027, continuing the exciting project that is already bearing fruit.