1. One minute in Lamine Yamal's life was long enough. Like the classic Italian phrase "90 minutes at the Bernabeu is very long," which Juanito once said (in the 1980s, referring to Real Madrid's incredible comebacks): that amount of time could stretch into an entire lifetime.

At eighteen, even a minute is a big moment, let alone a whole match.

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Yamal only stood out at the beginning of the match against PSG. Photo: MD

From the very first minute at Montjuic, the moment the ball touched his feet, Lamine Yamal did everything necessary to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or (as he has stated many times), even with Ousmane Dembele not on the pitch.

He started with the energy of a chosen one, a Zinedine Zidane-style compass turn to eliminate three opponents. But after half an hour, that light faded, leaving a faint void for the rest.

Hansi Flick has repeatedly told Lamine that he "needs to focus on putting in more effort." He reiterated this publicly just before the PSG match in the Champions League.

Part of the effort was to avoid focusing on the questions the press kept asking Flick.

Whether Yamal was the most decisive player in European football , or the best player of all time, is debatable.

But how can you concentrate when all the side stories keep swirling around? People are talking about gold chains, sunglasses, vacations in Monaco, and a relationship with the older Nicole.

When a groin injury sidelined him for a month, Flick and Barca blamed Luis de la Fuente – the Spanish national team coach – as if Yamal's career were a flawless mirror.

Few would dare point out that the image of a "teen rock star" could also overshadow this young player.

2. Yamal's life is so transparent, it's almost blatant. Today the audience knows he's started dating, the next day the press clearly reveals the time he spent sidelined due to injury.

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Lamine Yamal is locked down by Nuno Mendes. Photo: EFE

All of this made the 18-year-old the center of noisy stories outside of football, and then, when he stepped onto the pitch, his concentration was distracted.

At Montjuic, Lamine was only present for the first 30 minutes, then vanished as if the rest of the match had nothing to do with him. He even received a yellow card at the end of the game.

It's no coincidence that Nuno Mendes – who was directly marking Yamal – was chosen as the best player of the match.

Mendes made Lamine disappear, leaving Pedri and Vitinha as the names that remain in our memories.

This confrontation is nothing new: in the Nations League final, when Portugal drew 2-2 with Spain and then won 5-3 on penalties, Mendes also shut down any space Yamal tried to create.

In their two encounters, the Portuguese defender emerged victorious both times against the winger hailed as "the future of European football."

Mendes' victory last summer in Germany also led to Yamal losing to Dembele in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting.

3. To an older person, Yamal might seem distracted. But being distracted doesn't mean losing your charm.

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Yamal needs to put in more effort and stay away from the騒動 (commotion) outside of football. Photo: MD

The problem is that his on-field career and his personal life clash constantly, causing any dribbling attempt to be hampered by off-field issues – something Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo faced in their prime. Talent is undeniable, but perseverance is what truly matters.

In Montjuic, Lamine Yamal only truly existed for the first half hour. The rest belonged to Mendes, Pedri, and Vitinha.

While recovering from injury, Lamine Yamal circled the date for the match against PSG: he set a goal of returning to optimal form and helping Barca defeat the champions.

The defeat at Montjiuc helped the 18-year-old, who harbored dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or, better understand Hansi Flick's advice: he needed to focus on working harder. That was the only way for him to continue developing his natural talent.