A Precocious talent: Please handle with care

Lamine Yamal made a record-breaking international debut on Friday, but does his remarkable rise require a cautious approach from Barcelona and Spain?

The 8th September 2023 will be fondly remembered by Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal. Aged 16 years and 57 days, Yamal was introduced on the stroke of half time in Spain’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia. As he made his way across the touchline at a sodden Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi, Yamal etched his name into the history books, becoming the youngest player to represent Spain’s men’s senior side. It was just another checkpoint ticked off in Yamal’s remarkable yet fledgling career as a professional footballer.