The Incredible Upbringing of Lamine Yamal: From Messi’s Care to Family Heartbreak

Lamine Yamal, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young football talents in recent years, burst onto the scene as a gifted winger for Barcelona in his teenage years. 

He furthered his rise to stardom at Euro 2024, registering an assist in the final as Spain beat England to win the tournament before celebrating with his family on the pitch. 

The 17-year-old’s rapid ascent to prominence in the football world is rooted in his upbringing, with his supportive parents playing a key role in nurturing his natural talent. 

But, heartbreak struck earlier this week when Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, was taken to hospital after being attacked in a car park in Mataro, near Barcelona – according to Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. Nasraoui’s condition is said to be serious but stable. 

In light of this heartbreaking news, we reflect on the roots of Yamal’s extraordinary journey and the role his family has played in shaping his early years.

YAMAL’S CHILDHOOD 

Yamal’s journey to football stardom began with a humble upbringing, but his prodigious talent quickly attracted attention, earning him the nickname ‘Mini-Messi’ before he was even a teenager. 

Yamal was born on July 13, 2007, in Esplugues de Llobregat – which is in the Barcelona metropolitan area of Catalonia, Spain but lived in Mataro for the majority of his childhood.

He grew up in a modest household which contained his parents, grandmother, uncle, auntie and four of his cousins – according to La Vanguardia. 

Yamal’s father, of Moroccan descent, and his mother, from Equatorial Guinea, raised him with a strong sense of identity and instilled in him the importance of staying grounded despite his growing success.

Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, was a waitress while his father, Mounir Nasraoui, was a building painter. However, the pair separated when Yamal was three years old but remained ever present in his life. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF YAMAL’S GRANDMOTHER

In 1990, at the age of 40, Yamal’s grandmother embarked on a life-changing journey from Tangier to Spain, crossing the Mediterranean with little more than a passport and her savings – according to La Vanguardia. 

With just enough money for a bus ticket, she made her way to Catalonia, where she began working at a campsite in Llavaneres. After two years, she moved to Vilassar de Mar to work at a nursing home before eventually settling in the Rocafonda neighborhood. 

Year by year, she reunited her family in Spain, bringing over her children one by one. Abdul was the first to arrive, followed by Mounir, Lamine’s father, who joined the family at the age of nine. 

Now 73 years old, Yamal’s grandmother has proudly attended her grandson’s games at both the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic and the Nou Camp, witnessing the legacy she helped create.

YAMAL’S PARENTS

Yamal’s parents, Mounir and Sheila, first met in Mataro and welcomed Lamine when Sheila was just 21. After their divorce, Sheila requested a transfer from her job at McDonald’s in Mataro to another branch in Granollers, where she enrolled Lamine at CF La Torreta. Sheila now lives in the Maresme region with her current partner, and they share a younger son, Keyne, Lamine’s brother. 

Meahwhile, Mounir, born in the 1990s, also pursued football but struggled to turn professional, leading him to juggle various jobs to support his family. Despite these challenges, Mounir’s love for the game played a significant role in shaping Lamine’s early passion for football.

YAMAL’S EARLY TALENT 

From an early age, Lamine displayed an exceptional interest in football. Mataro, like many towns in Catalonia, is steeped in football tradition, and it was common for young boys to play football in the streets, parks, and schoolyards. 

Lamine was no different—when at his dad’s house in Rocafonda he would spend countless hours kicking a ball around with friends, honing his skills and developing the flair that would become his trademark today. 

El Pais described his father’s neighbourhood as ‘forgotten, isolated and stigmatised’ but that didn’t matter to Yamal – who celebrates his goals by making a gesture of the number 304, the last digits of the local postcode 08304.

Yamal was also joined La Torreta football club in Granollers at the age of four so he could play football while with his mother. But, it wasn’t long before scouts began to take notice of the young boy from Mataro.  

His parents, recognising his passion, allowed him the freedom to explore his talents while ensuring he maintained a balanced life with his studies – something we saw at Euros 2024 with the 17-year-old studying between games. 

YAMAL’S EARLY YEARS AT BARCEOLONA 

At the tender age of seven, Yamal was recruited into FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. La Masia is renowned for developing some of the greatest footballers in the world, including Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta. 

For Yamal, being scouted by Barcelona represented a significant milestone in his young life. It marked the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with opportunities to develop his skills at an elite level.

Yamal’s parents played a pivotal role in his transition to La Masia. Though excited by the opportunity, they were mindful of the pressures that could come with being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age. 

It’s said that his father, in particular, emphasised the importance of remaining humble and focused, while his mother ensured that Lamine remained connected to his roots and maintained a sense of identity beyond football.

Nevertheless, having been drafted into the Juvenil A team—playing beyond his age group— for the 2022-2023 season, Yamal caught the attention of Xavi, who invited him to train with the first team alongside other young prospects in early September 2022. 

Although he had yet to sign his first professional contract with Barcelona, Yamal quickly stood out as one of the academy players who left a strong impression on the coach. 

YAMAL’S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH MESSI 

Yamal is more familiar with Lionel Messi than most, but their first encounter wasn’t exactly how an aspiring talent would plan on meeting such a world class footballer. 

Yamal first laid eyes on Messi while sitting in a bath tub. I know, it sounds strange but the Spanish superstar was just a few months old when the meeting took place.  

Yamal’s parents had won a raffle in their hometown of Mataro, 20 miles north-east up the Catalan coast from Barcelona, for their son to be part of a photoshoot inside the dressing rooms at the Nou Camp for a charity calendar. 

One image shows Yamal in a blue plastic bathtub as Messi laughed and held a hand out to him. Another photo shows Yamal’s mother crouching down beside the footballer and her son. 

Joan Monfort took the photos at Barcelona’s stadium, the Nou Camp, where Messi played for 17 years and made more than 500 appearances and scoring 474 goals in the process.

Monfort, who works as a freelance photographer for The Associated Press and others, said the photo shoot took place in the visitors’ changing room when Yamal was just a few months old.

The Barcelona players were asked to pose with children and their families for a calendar as part of an annual charity drive by local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF.

Speaking about the shoot, Monfort said: ‘We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF did a raffle in the neighborhood of Roca Fonda in Mataro where Lamine’s family lived.

‘They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle.’

It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Yamal, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot.

‘Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,’ Monfort said. ‘He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.’

HOW YAMAL IS GETTING ON TODAY 

Yamal has quickly established himself as one of football’s brightest young stars, both for Barcelona and Spain. Debuting for Barcelona’s first team at just 15 years old, he made history as the youngest player to ever feature for the club in La Liga. 

Since then, he has continued to break records, becoming the youngest player to score in a UEFA Champions League match and the youngest to register an assist in the competition. 

Internationally, Yamal made his senior debut for Spain on October 12, 2023, becoming the youngest player to do so. His contributions were significant during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers, where he scored his first international goal and provided critical assists, helping Spain secure their place in the tournament.

His performances in Euro 2024 further cemented his status as a rising star, contributing to Spain’s successful campaign with key assists and goals, including a vital assist in the final as Spain won the tournament.