Refusing to blame his mother: Yamal says he is creative and entertaining, and did not have the best childhood

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Lamine Yamal continues to cement his status as one of the most prominent talents in world football. Despite his young age, the Barcelona winger has broken down plenty of barriers since bursting onto the biggest stage.

According to a report in "Sport", Yamal's story began in Rocafonda, a modest neighbourhood in the city of Mataró that still holds a significant place in his life. 

Every time he scores, Yamal nods to his roots by forming the number "304" with his hands, the postal code of the neighbourhood where he grew up. 

One name stands out in the world around Lamine Yamal: Mounir Nasraoui, the player's father. He is the most visible figure in the media, known for his strong personality and his determination never to miss one of his son's matches. 

Away from the spotlight sits the person who supports and backs Lamine, his mother Sheila Ebana.

Sheila comes from the city of Bata in Equatorial Guinea, and she emigrated to Spain as a teenager. She gave birth to Lamine at the age of 11, during her relationship with Mounir Nasraoui. The couple separated when Lamine was only three years old, but she chose to stay in Catalonia for her future and her son's.

The documentary film "304" makes it clear through interviews and voiceovers that his mother is one of the most important figures in his life. She backed him unconditionally even after he moved to live at the "La Masia" academy at the age of twelve.

Lamine said: "My mother worked in a restaurant, and despite how little we had, we were extremely happy when the holidays and occasions came. She bought me a PlayStation. And whatever I give her, it will never equal what she gave me. My mother was one of my role models when I was young."

He added: "When she came home, she would sit and talk with me, then prepare food and go to work."

Now 39, the player's mother has become the key figure behind her son's stardom. When Lamine was playing for La Torreta, Sheila made a fateful decision: to stay in Granollers, to work hard, and to dedicate her life to her son's growth and development.

His mother's upbringing and her advice

Sheila lives in the Maresme area with her son Keine, and she is spending this summer in a quiet spot, dropping her son off at the summer camp with the rest of the children.

Life is good for Sheila. She has also become a social media star, with 200,000 people following her on Instagram and around 1.5 million followers on TikTok.

Lamine's mother posts videos regularly, especially the ones that bring her together with Lamine and her other son. After long years in the hospitality sector and in hard labour, she has stopped working.

To mark her son's eighteenth birthday, she posted a video in which she said: "No matter how the years pass and how much you grow up, you will always remain my little child in my heart. Happy birthday, my son, I hope you will always be happy. I love you so much."

Lamine returned the sentiment, sending a lasting message of gratitude to his mother for the efforts she made to shield him from the worries she was carrying.

He said: "I always tell my mother that I am very grateful to her, because despite how hard what she was going through was, she made me not see anything bad. I may not have had the best childhood in the world, but she made me see only the beautiful side and enjoy life. I have nothing to blame her for."

Lamine Yamal, Alberto Moleiro

I did not expect to play for Barcelona this quickly

In the documentary "Decoded", produced by the DAZN network, the Spain international admitted that he had never expected to reach the first team at such a young age.

The young player said: "I could imagine that I might play for Barcelona, but never this quickly. It's a dream, because from a young age you dream of playing Champions League matches."

His rapid rise forced him to take in a career that changed overnight. Yet he admits he has barely found the time to stop and reflect on everything he has achieved.

"Everything happens so fast that you don't fully think about it," he added. "Thank God, I haven't suffered any serious injury, but there are moments when you say: what a beautiful experience, because this is something anyone would wish for."

Before joining the La Masia academy, Yamal took his first steps in football with La Torreta. There he began to develop the style of play that remains one of his most notable traits to this day.

He described his game like this: "I'm a creative and entertaining player. I might go long minutes without touching the ball, but in a single minute I can make you enjoy watching a football match."