Yamal Imagines Lifting the World Cup 1000 Times Despite Injury

Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona and Spain national team star, reflected on the recent weeks following his injury ahead of the World Cup.

He is accelerating his recovery efforts to participate in the World Cup, although he will miss Spain's initial matches.

The Spanish Football Federation shared Yamal's statements in a video posted on social media, which were also published by Mundo Deportivo.

Yamal recalled, "I remember the moment I got injured. I was hoping internally that it wasn't serious, that it was just a muscle cramp or something minor."

He added, "It is true that the World Cup gives you extra motivation, as if your mind acts like you haven't played any match all season. I have a strong desire to play my first game in the tournament."

Yamal continued, "In my mind, I feel like I've been playing football for 10 years, but the truth is I have only been playing for 3 years."

He emphasized, "I imagined myself lifting the World Cup 1000 times, whether in my room or when we won a match at the sports field in my neighborhood. The World Cup is the greatest thing in football."

When asked about fans, especially children, he said, "They are the group I feel the most empathy with. When I see a small child, I know they see their idol in front of them and don't understand that you might be having a bad day. So you have to stop for their sake."

He noted, "When I was young, my idol was Neymar, and I was eager to get a picture with him. I was ready to do anything for a photo with Neymar. If someone told me I had to take a train to Russia to get that picture, I would have done it."

Concluding his remarks, Yamal mentioned his younger brother Ken, saying, "He knows I will play with Spain. I don't know if he really understands what the World Cup is. He likes Neymar, Pedri, Raphinha, and he likes me too, and he also likes Cristiano Ronaldo."