[Sports]‘Barça is the club of my life’: In CNN exclusive Lamine Yamal pledges long-term future to Barcelona after historic 2024

[Maheso]

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
CNN
It’s the club where he’s made his name and where he wants to continue writing it long into the future.

Lamine Yamal and FC Barcelona is a partnership stretching back to when he first joined the famed La Masia Academy at the age of 7.

At 15, the prodigious forward would announce himself to the soccer world, becoming the club’s youngest debutant in La Liga. At 16, he would commit his immediate future to the Blaugrana with an astronomical buyout clause to the tune of over $1 billion.

Now at the age of 17, the wonderkid is ready to commit his long-term future to the Catalan giants.

“I don’t know when (the contract will be signed), but I believe it’ll be soon,” he exclusively told CNN Sport after winning the Emerging Player Award at the recent Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“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 Barça, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.”

In the immediate future, the Barça star is approaching a return to full fitness having missed almost a month with an ankle ligament injury sustained during last month’s shock league defeat to Leganés.

It was a blow not only to Yamal – who started the season strongly having made 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and assisting 11 – but coach Hansi Flick and the team as a whole.

Yamal’s absence subsequently coincided with Barça surrendering its lead at the top of La Liga to both Madrid teams, this despite recording its joint best start to a league season with a perfect seven wins from seven games.

The Blaugrana, though, have the opportunity to kick start their season in Saudi Arabia this week as they bid to win back the Spanish Super Cup, a trophy they lasted lifted back in 2023.

Barça faces off with Real Mallorca in Wednesday’s semifinal with Flick confirming Yamal is ready to play.

“It’s true that Hansi is a different coach. The style of play is different,” says Yamal, as he hopes to win a second major trophy with Barça. “We’ve looked to adapt to what he’s told us, and I think we’re doing it well.”

“In 2025, we’ll give it our all to win trophies, starting with the Spanish Super Cup and hopefully, it will be the best year of our lives.”

 

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/sport/lamine-yamal-barcelona-future-spt-intl/index.html