Lamine Yamal’s rise to stardom began long before he stepped onto the grand stage at FC Barcelona. In January 2015, at just seven years old, he was already making waves at CF La Torreta, a small club in La Roca del Vallès, Barcelona. His extraordinary talent quickly caught the attention of top youth academies in Catalonia, sparking a race among scouts eager to recruit him.
One of those scouts was Óscar Hernández, then the coordinator of Barcelona’s under-10 team. Recognizing Yamal’s immense potential, he closely monitored the youngster’s progress. However, Barcelona soon faced an unexpected challenge—CF La Torreta was on the verge of finalizing a collaboration deal with Espanyol, threatening to steer Yamal towards their city rivals.
Determined not to let that happen, Hernández took decisive action. In February 2015, he sent a crucial email to Marc Serra, who was in charge of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, urging him to arrange a trial immediately. Serra acted swiftly, setting up a session at Barcelona’s Ciudad Deportiva.
It didn’t take long for the coaches to realize they had a generational talent on their hands. Within just five minutes of the trial, Yamal’s brilliance was undeniable—he belonged in the Blaugrana jersey.
From that moment on, his journey to becoming one of football’s most exciting young stars was set in motion.
