Lamine Yamal: His meteoric rise from Rocafronda to the World Cup

MATARÓ, Spain — Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play at a record sixth World Cup in 2026, but years from now the tournament may instead be remembered as Lamine Yamal’s first. From the concrete square in Mataro the Spanish 18-year-old used to play in, to the biggest stages in world football, his rise has been dazzling. His uncle Abdul Nasraoui used to keep a small replica World Cup trophy in his bakery in the humble neighbourhood of Rocafonda, a 20-mile (32-kilometre) crawl up the Catalan coast from Barcelona, telling people it was for when his nephew wins it. READ: […]... Keep on reading: Lamine Yamal: His meteoric rise from Rocafronda to the World Cup