Xavi recalled how Barcelona discovered Yamar and said that Yamar was different and had something special about him.
Yamar had a fantastic summer, achieving a dream at just 19 years old. Representing Spain, he led his team to a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final, with Ferran Torres scoring the only goal of the match. Despite missing more than two months due to a torn muscle, the Barcelona number 10 still delivered a stellar performance in the final.
Today, Yamal is one of the best players in world football. Last year, he came within one step of winning the Ballon d'Or, but Ousmane Dembélé ultimately took the award.
Xavi gave Yamar his first-team debut for Barcelona on April 29, 2023, against Real Betis. At the time, Yamar was only 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old, making him the youngest player in Barcelona's history to make his La Liga debut.
Xavi revealed to El País the circumstances under which Barcelona discovered Yamal. He stated, "When we arrived in Barcelona, the club was going through a difficult financial period. I had always been particularly interested in La Masia."
Xavi said: "Later I asked all the kids over 14. Someone told me that there was one kid who was the best. We went to see him. He was outstanding in passing, one-on-one, and scoring goals, and he mastered almost all aspects of the game."
Xavi admitted that Yamal received offers from all over Europe, but he ultimately convinced Yamal to stay at Barcelona. Xavi said, "He finally told me that he wanted to succeed at Barcelona. So I promoted him to the first team."
Xavi also recalled his support for Yamar when he was under 16: "I remember how the coaching staff felt at the time, and I also remember the way his teammates looked at each other when the ball was passed to Yamar's feet during training."
Xavi stated that he realized Yamal was "different" during the initial training sessions because Yamal "had something special about him" that most players his age did not possess.
