Lamine Yamal: Barcelona star reflects on hardship and praises ‘everything a child could wish for’ mother

At 19, Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal has spoken about the financial difficulties his family faced during his childhood and the changes his success has brought to the lives of those closest to him.

Speaking on the Resonancia de Corazon podcast, Yamal described how he had once lived in a small flat where the kitchen and bedroom occupied the same space.

He said one of his priorities after establishing himself was to provide a better home for his mother, Sheila Ebana.

“I bought my mother a house wherever she wanted,” Yamal said. “I asked her which area she wanted to live in and told her: ‘Wherever you want.’”

The Barcelona player said his achievements mattered to him because they had improved the circumstances of his family.

“I see my mother happy, and I see my brother enjoying the childhood I wished I had,” he said, in comments reported by French outlet Foot Mercato. “That is what really makes me happy.”

Yamal also said he had been able to give his father and grandmother peace of mind, while reserving his strongest praise for his mother, who supported him throughout his early years.

“My mother has everything she wants,” he said. “She is my queen and the most precious thing I have. She is everything any child could wish for.”

Despite her son’s exceptional footballing ability, Ebana insisted that he continued with his education. Yamal said she even threatened to stop him playing football if he did not work hard at school.

The teenager’s memories offer an insight into the personal significance of his progress, particularly the opportunity to give his family the security and happiness he says he did not have during his own childhood.