Yamal's Masterpiece and the Smile After Relieving Pressure

Lamine Yamal continues to perform explosively, but the most important thing is that he has found his smile again after a long period of facing pressure.

Last Saturday evening at Camp Nou, before the second half of the match against Villarreal began, Coach Hansi Flick approached and said to Lamine Yamal: "If we score the third goal, I will substitute you out." Yamal replied: "If I score the third goal, we will do that."

Lamine Yamal's Hat-trick and Comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo

Twenty minutes later, that became a reality. Yamal completed his hat-trick against Villarreal in Barcelona's 4-1 victory, before leaving the field to applause from the crowd.

At 18 years and 230 days old, Yamal became the youngest Barcelona player to score a hat-trick in La Liga. In the league's history, only Jose Iragorri (1930) and Pablo Pombo (1934) achieved this at a younger age. Yamal's three goals were deeply personal. The first goal was a familiar cut inside and finish into the far corner. Yamal's second goal resembled a "work of art." From near the byline, he dribbled past Sergi Cardona, nutmegged another defender, and then scored. Instead of going down looking for a penalty in that situation, he chose to continue and scored.

The third goal, following an assist from Pedri, was also impressive as Yamal showed intelligent movement and decision-making along with a clever finish. When the final whistle blew, Yamal received the match ball and ran towards the stands to give it to his mother.

This season, Yamal has scored 13 goals in La Liga, 18 goals across all competitions, along with 9 assists, the most in the league, and a superior number of dribbles. However, for him personally, that moment held another meaning: liberation. Injuries, expectations, and the spotlight had worn Yamal down. He shared: "I didn't feel like myself on the pitch anymore. I couldn't smile." But now, the smile has returned to Yamal.

At 16, Yamal reached the EURO final, scored against France, and broke the record for the youngest scorer at a EURO/World Cup, previously held by Pelé. Yamal later finished second in the Ballon d'Or voting. People have even compared Yamal to two contemporary legends, Messi and Ronaldo.

Lamine Yamal has reached the milestone of 100 combined goals and assists for club and country while still a teenager. At the same age (18 years, 7 months), Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had only 5 and 4 goal contributions for club and country, respectively. Yamal also far surpasses Kylian Mbappé's achievements at the same age. Furthermore, Yamal scored his first career hat-trick earlier than both Messi and Ronaldo.

Barcelona Should Not Depend Solely on Yamal

Even more astonishingly, Yamal reached this milestone while enduring a prolonged groin injury, a similar issue that caused problems for Nico Williams at Athletic Bilbao.

Yamal possesses an innate, fierce competitiveness and an indomitable spirit, the kind that nurtured and still fuels Messi. One doesn't need to be a Barcelona fan or follow Spanish football to feel fortunate to witness another genius emerging so soon after Messi. If Yamal further sharpens his killer instinct inside the box, we may be witnessing the rise of a new monument in football history.

However, Yamal's excellence also raises the issue of Barcelona's dependence on this young player. In reality, Yamal is currently Barcelona's top scorer as the Catalan club competes for titles on multiple fronts.

It is undeniable that Yamal is currently the inspiration for Barcelona. When Yamal excels, he helps Barcelona win.

Yamal has a strong, intelligent character and is well aware of his talent. When Yamal was young and playing football in Rocafonda park, his father and uncle would stand in goal and kick the ball hard at his face. Yamal then vowed to become good enough to play on the field and put others in goal.

Now, at 18, Yamal has become the focal point for Barcelona and the Spanish national team. However, Barcelona's over-reliance on Yamal could have negative consequences. Yamal himself has spoken about "not enjoying football as much as before." Hopefully, someone within Barcelona's system has realized that Yamal does not belong solely to them. This young player belongs to everyone who seeks inspiration from football. Yamal brings excitement, joy, and hope. And that is incredibly valuable.

Yamal needs more support at Barcelona. The Catalan club cannot force Yamal to mature too quickly and shoulder too much. Yamal's feet need to be freed from pressure so he can perform freely on the pitch.