Lamine Yamal, the young winger of Barcelona, got important advice after becoming famous at just 15 years old. He turned into one of the best players in the world in only a few years and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
At 18 years old, Yamal was one of the main favourites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. In the end, he lost the award to Ousmane Dembélé, the French forward of Paris Saint-Germain, who lifted the trophy at a big ceremony last Monday.
Lamine Yamal gets key advice for his career
Yamal now follows a path similar to Boris Becker, the German who won Wimbledon at 17 years old. Becker became the youngest player to win the title, and later he collected six Grand Slam wins. But he also lost direction in his career.
Becker’s career highlights included two Australian Opens, three Wimbledon titles, and one US Open. He never managed to win Roland Garros before retiring. Even with all those trophies, he could have done much more before the end of his career.
The Spanish outlet AS reported Becker’s words of advice to Yamal, warning him “not to destroy his career.” Becker said, “He is a brilliant player; he wins everything. Right now, he is the best young player in the world, and he reminds me of myself when I was 17.”
He then added more advice for the Barcelona talent: “Look at what he is going through right now. I think he may face problems in the next 10 or 15 years. He grew up in a simple family, and now he and his family have become rich.”
Becker explained: “Many people will come to him for their own benefit. He has lost his privacy, and he must make sure two or three serious people stay close to him. He has to choose his friends well, trust his family, and build a safe group around him. That way, he will not end up broke, and he can keep his career on the right track.”
Becker also said: “When I won Wimbledon at 17, I was trying to grow up and find my place in the world. After winning, every action becomes worldwide news, and every small thing gets big headlines.” He stressed that success can bring negative effects as well.
At 17, Yamal played a key role for Spain as they won the European Championship in Germany in the summer of 2024. It was Spain’s fourth win in the history of the tournament. Now, he dreams of going on to help his country win the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
