Interview Quotes

The Lamine Yamal Phenomenon

"Want to see eyes pop and jaws drop? Ask your soccer-loving friends about Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old sensation from Spain."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:00:00

"This World Cup likely will double as a valedictory for global soccer's GOAT, Lionel Messi of Argentina. But it will also be a debut showcase for the extravagant generational talent of the player who's been cast as Messi's heir."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:00:13

"Lamine Yamal is not yet licensed to drive, not yet liberated from wearing braces. Already, though, the world, like the ball he dribbles, is at his feet."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:00:25

"A bit of sorcery that helped Spain vault to victory over France and eventually to the European title. And it vaulted Lamine out of adolescence and into global sports stardom."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:00:49

"He doesn't just score goals, he's a master of improv. Watch here, it's almost like slapstick comedy, as he eludes a gaggle of grown men from the other team."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:01:06

"If I were a fullback, I wouldn't like it if a player who's much better than me were to keep getting away from me all the time. I'd ask them, please slow down a little, otherwise my friends would make memes about it."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:01:23

"I think that I would like to brighten people's day. For example, if someone is sad, they can come to a game, watch me and feel better, so they go home happier than they were before."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:01:42

"He's extremely, extremely, extremely good. This is an absolute uncut diamond. There's times I've been watching him where I could swear that he's thrown his shadow the wrong way. And the defenders are just bewitched by this shift of the weight. He's a skitterbug and like watching a dragonfly, you know, when you see a dragonfly?"

— SPEAKER_05 • 00:02:13

"Because once Yamal sends you the wrong way with that wonderful fame that he has, the defender has to pay to get back into the stadium."

— SPEAKER_05 • 00:02:41

"The ball is more than a sphere he kicks. He calls it his first love."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:03:15

"No, I'm not that crazy, but it could happen in the future."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:03:24

"I think that without a doubt when I was in Rocafonda, because in the end, it was a neighborhood where no one knew what was going to happen in their lives. The truth is, no one knew whether they would become a soccer player, an architect, a painter, or whether they'd find a job. You see your parents working, they can't be with you all the time, and you feel not nervous, but uncertain about what's going to happen to you."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:04:34

"It's the symbol for our neighborhood's zip code, because in Barcelona, the zip code starts with 08, and ours is 08304."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:05:03

"Yes, Lamine was very savvy as a child, doing everything on his own. He has the maturity of a 25- or 30-year-old."

— SPEAKER_00 • 00:05:33

"One thing that struck us watching you play is that when the game tightens, you want to make something happen. You want to make magic. Where does that come from?"

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:06:51

"Where I used to play in my neighborhood. There were like walls where people would sit, and I think there was no better feeling than getting the people who were sitting there to stand up, to laugh at the opponents. I think it's the best feeling in the world, and something that reminds me of that a lot is when I'm playing on the field and the fans get up and are surprised by a play I've made."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:07:01

"Ever made it this far in an interview and not had to answer a question about Messi? I was surprised, honestly. I was surprised because there were moments where you could have brought him up, but you didn't. So I knew the question was coming, but this topic has come up later than usual."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:08:00

"I respect him in the end for what he's been, for what he is to soccer. And if we ever meet one day on a soccer field, there will be that mutual respect. He's the best in history. We both know I don't want to be Messi and Messi knows I don't want to be him. I want to follow my own path and that's it."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:08:22

"What are the odds that you have Lionel Messi on the verge of stardom with La Minha Mal now on the verge of stardom? It's like winning the lottery. It's a one in 10 million chance."

— SPEAKER_02 • 00:09:16

"Well, I would say that if, for example, you have a job and you get asked if you want to be the boss, what would you say? Yes or no? Am I going too fast? So that's my answer."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:10:08

"One thing we keep hearing is this kid's got it, right? What is it? How do you describe moonlight? How do you describe candlelight? How do you count the bubbles in a glass of champagne? I don't know. I just know when I say it, it's bloody beautiful."

— SPEAKER_05 • 00:10:24

"The truth is that everyone says no. Everyone in my circle says no to everything. If I want to go out, no. If I say that I want to go out to eat, no. The question should be, who do you listen to?"

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:11:19

"My mother."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:11:33

"I want to go out for a drink and I can't because people will stop me. I always try to find the simplest things to do, like play video games or spend time with my brother. But yes, honestly, I do believe that I'll never be a normal 18-year-old because people don't see me as normal and I won't be able to act that way."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:12:23

"Braces come on or off before World Cup? I wish it were up to me, but I don't know. I'll have to call my dentist and ask if I'll still have braces or not. But I think they suit me. I look good with brackets. I'll leave them on then."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:13:00

"The goals and the assists are all well and good, but you've made braces cool. It doesn't get better than that."

— SPEAKER_03 • 00:13:15

"In English? Yes."

— SPEAKER_04 • 00:13:58