Lamine Yamal explains why he did not choose Morocco

Lamine Yamal claims to be living a dream. At only 16 years old, the young striker who has made only five official appearances with Barça A, has been called up by Luis de la Fuente for the matches against Georgia and Cyprus counting for the Euro 2024 qualifiers. "It’s incredible to be able to live this, to be able to see all these things and to fully enjoy them. I’m calm right now, a bit used to it because of the time I’ve spent with the Barça first team and now I’ll see how it goes with the national team," he said in an interview with the website of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The young player claims not to have hesitated to choose Spain over Morocco. "I’ve always played for Spain, since the under-15s, and I’ve always been clear: I wanted to play for Spain, win a European Championship, a World Cup and as many things as possible," he clarified, adding that he has the support of his parents who did not fail to give him advice. The Barça striker was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother. "My mother was the first to congratulate me. She was very proud, just like my father. The first thing she said to me was to be careful because she was a little scared..."

Lamine Yamal also appreciates the welcome he has received from his national team teammates. "They’re all incredible, they’re very good... I talk to Balde and he tells me to have fun, to go forward, not to be afraid. Same with Gavi, he tells me to go all out, to play without fear, and Pedri too, they help me a lot," he confided. The 16-year-old player is confident that he can bring a lot to La Roja, especially "youth, joy... and on the field, boldness and dribbling".