Introduction
Lamine Yamal is already one of the top players in world football, even though they are only 18 years old. Since making a debut with the first team of FC Barcelona in the 2022/23 season, their development has been constant. In the 2023/24 season, at just 17, Lamine played a key role in Spain winning the European Championship. The following season, they were decisive for FC Barcelona, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, and narrowly missing out on reaching the Champions League final.
If we compare Lamine with great players who came from La Masia—such as Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, or Lionel Messi—we can say that Lamine is, by far, the youngest of all of them to reach such a high performance level.
But if we also look at how each of those legends performed across their careers, we clearly see a process of improvement and evolution that made them almost impossible to stop, even when rival teams adjusted to face them.
Lamine has shown many times that, when playing close to the touchline, he is a world-class player. Opponents quickly adapted to try to neutralise that threat. As a result, Hansi Flick has started to use Lamine in more central spaces, with the aim of changing the context for the opponent and giving more attacking variety to the team.
So, what does Lamine need to take into account to play inside at the same level as out wide?
Perception: Playing With More Information
Near the touchline, perceptual difficulty is reduced. The main focus is usually on identifying the direct opponent, as the space behind is limited by the sideline.
In central areas, however, the angle opens up to 360 degrees. This demands a higher frequency of scanning, better information search, and clearer identification of key perceptual cues at different moments of the game. Examples include recognising an opponent approaching from behind or anticipating free teammates when attacking without the ball. Perception is one of the main aspects Lamine needs to focus on to perform at the highest level inside.
Lamine Yamal
As a winger, Lamine Yamal can easily identify his direct opponent.
Lamine Yamal
As an advanced midfielder, he fails to recognize that the defender is not tracking him and therefore does not exploit the available space.
Passing: From Space Attacks to Continuity
In wide areas, Lamine often plays long passes into space with great accuracy, using both the inside and the outside of the foot. They also deliver crosses into the box, especially towards second-post runs. These types of passes are very well recognised by Lamine.
In central positions, however, there is a greater need for through passes to players in advanced lines. In this context, it is essential to look for combinations and maintain continuity in actions, in order to offer fast and constant solutions around the ball.
Lamine Yamal
When positioned on the flank, Lamine spots a teammate’s run into open space and delivers an excellent long pass.
Lamine Yamal
In central areas, Lamine combines with Pedri through short passes and immediately makes a run into the free space.
Dribbling: From Accelerating to Escaping
This is Lamine’s main strength and a skill that should continue to be developed.
In wide positions, dribbling often requires strong acceleration. From there, Lamine has shown the ability to eliminate opponents and reach advantageous positions inside the box.
In central areas, dribbling is more about escaping opponents who can appear from different angles, while protecting the ball. It also requires quick continuity into the next action, as there are more possibilities to combine with teammates.
Lamine Yamal
Playing as a winger, Lamine recognizes that the opposing holding midfielder is providing cover centrally and beats his defender from the outside.
Lamine Yamal
When playing centrally, Lamine protects the ball with his body and dribbles past two opponents in tight spaces.
The Inevitable Comparison: Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi
If we look back 20 years, we can see that Lionel Messi also started by playing in wide areas, just like Lamine. Later, Pep Guardiola used Messi as a false nine and as an attacking midfielder in a 3-4-3 diamond. This was a key phase in Messi’s evolution as a player. Finally, under Luis Enrique, Messi returned to a wide role, but with the maturity to play both inside and outside, depending on team combinations and the opponent’s game plan.
Lamine has the potential to play with real solidity in central areas. To achieve this, they need many experiences in those spaces. That exposure will allow exponential growth and will also give more attacking variety to the team. It will also help Lamine connect better with fullbacks such as JoĂŁo Cancelo, who performs at their best in high and wide positions.
For all these reasons, Lamine Yamal is at the start of a crucial phase in their career: playing inside to become unstoppable.
