Lamine Yamal: How playing football with family dogs helped shape Barcelona star’s dribbling

Lamine Yamal’s ability to beat defenders and find space in tight situations began long before he joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy – with the winger crediting matches against his family’s dogs as part of his development.

The Barcelona player recalled his unconventional early opponents in an interview with Florent Torchut for France Football, first published in 2024 and later republished by the Ballon d’Or website.

“​​At home, I loved playing football with my dogs,” Yamal said, laughing. “My father used to tell me there was nothing to be afraid of and that they would not bite me, so I had a great time with them. Dribbling past a dog is the hardest thing you can do.”

The dogs’ unpredictable movements forced Yamal to react quickly and find ways to keep the ball away from them. He said those games provided an important foundation for his football education.

“That was part of my learning process. It was like a training session,” he said.

Yamal’s attachment to the ball extended beyond those games. His family remembers that he disliked being separated from it, whether it was time to eat or go to bed.

“I remember carrying the ball in my bag when I went to school,” he said. “Just before entering the classroom, I would hide it inside my bag because the teacher did not want me to put it on the table.”

Learning on the streets of Rocafonda

The more demanding tests came on the concrete pitches of Rocafonda, the neighbourhood in Mataro where Yamal grew up. He regularly played against children seven or eight years older than him, with the difference in age and physical strength forcing him to avoid challenges and protect possession.

“I was always playing against opponents who were seven or eight years older than me, and I had to find ways around them so I would not get hit,” he said.

Those matches helped Yamal develop the ability to anticipate a defender’s intentions and act before contact was made. They also strengthened his confidence when facing stronger opponents.

“Playing in the sports complex helped me develop the football intelligence I had learned in the street, and it became part of my style of play,” he said.

Away from the pitch, Yamal spent hours watching videos of Neymar during the Brazilian’s time at Santos. He did not always have access to a computer at home, so he would visit a friend to watch clips before attempting to copy the moves in his bedroom before going to sleep.

He also admired Lionel Messi, David Villa and Pedro, members of the Barcelona generation he watched on television and which inspired his ambition to become a professional footballer.

Yamal admits he was a chaotic player in his early years. Whenever he received the ball, his first instinct was to dribble rather than consider the best option.

At Barcelona, he learned to read the rhythm of matches, work with team-mates and judge when to accelerate play or retain possession. Dribbling remains his main weapon, but it is now used with greater awareness and tactical judgement.