At just 17, Lamine Yamal is already a rising star in football. Every time he steps onto the pitch, his dazzling footwork captivates fans, creating moments of magic with the ball at his feet. But while his journey with Barcelona and the Spanish national team is only beginning, things could have turned out very differently—if not for a single email exchange 10 years ago.
Back in 2015, when Yamal was just seven years old, he was playing for La Torreta. It was during this time that he caught the attention of Oscar Hernández, a scout and coordinator for Barcelona’s U-10 team. Hernández immediately recognized Yamal’s extraordinary talent and was convinced he had something special. But just as Barcelona took notice, an obstacle arose.
At that very moment, city rivals Espanyol were close to securing an agreement with La Torreta, putting Yamal on the verge of joining them. With negotiations already well advanced, Barcelona had no time to waste.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Hernández sent a critical email to Mark Serra, the coordinator of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. In the email, he warned Serra that they were at risk of losing Yamal and urged him to act immediately.
That single email changed everything. Upon receiving it, Serra wasted no time arranging a trial for Yamal. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, he’s not just a rising star for Spain but also dreams of reaching the pinnacle of success with Barcelona.
Reflecting on the moment that secured Yamal for Barça, Hernández recently shared on the Twitch channel Gigantes: “We knew we had to act fast because La Torreta had almost finalized their deal with Espanyol. We had to move quickly. He came for a trial at Ciutat Esportiva at seven in the morning. Within five minutes, I knew—he was going to be a Barcelona player.”
