Barcelona star Lamine Yamal opens up on the dark side of global soccer stardom: ‘Impossible’

Lamine Yamal has become a global soccer star thanks to his performances with Barcelona—but not without a cost.

Few players in soccer history have experienced the kind of meteoric rise that Lamine Yamal has. In just over two years, he went from being a young winger in Barcelona’s youth system to one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or.

That rise has come alongside standout performances for both club and country, with Spain’s national team playing a key role in his ascent. But with such rapid fame, success, and global attention, Yamal admits there have also been challenges—and he recently opened up about them.

“It has changed my life completely,” Yamal said in an interview on the podcast Resonancia de Corazon, where he spoke openly about his personal life, interests, and family. “Before, I could do whatever I wanted. I could go out for a drink with my friends, but now—none of that.”

To explain the scale of his fame, Yamal pointed to Barcelona’s recent tour of Asia. “I remember this summer’s preseason in Korea, Japan, China—it was impossible to go anywhere,” he said. “But I’m happy.”

Lamine Yamal’s off-field hobbies

Despite being one of the most talked-about soccer players in the world—and one of the sport’s most valuable young stars—Lamine Yamal is still just a teenager, having turned 18 this summer. And that becomes clear when he talks about his favorite hobbies.

“I play a lot of PlayStation,” the Spanish winger admitted. “I have a friend from La Masia named Brian, and we’re always playing together—we have a great time. I could have the biggest mansion in the world, and I’d still always be in the PlayStation room.”

The race for the Ballon d’Or

Lamine Yamal has made 103 appearances for Barcelona since making his first-team debut at the end of the 2022–23 season. In that span, he has scored 27 goals and quickly become the club’s most decisive forward, playing a key role in Barcelona’s recent La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España titles.

Combined with his outstanding performances for Spain—winning UEFA Euro 2024 and finishing as runner-up in the 2025 UEFA Nations League—Yamal is now one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or.

He’s one of four Barcelona players nominated for the prestigious award presented by France Football, alongside Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, and Raphinha. However, Yamal appears to be one of the frontrunners, with most signs pointing to a close race between him and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele.