Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal says his motivation for playing football goes beyond money, goals and assists, insisting that he simply plays because he enjoys the game.
Yamal, speaking to The Guardian on Saturday said he does not want to become obsessed with personal statistics, explaining that the joy of football comes from being creative and helping his teammates.
“I don’t play football for money, I play because I like it,” Yamal said.
“Players who are obsessed with goals or assists do not enjoy. I play for fun, to dribble, to play one touch, two, to make a teammate who has not scored, score, for happiness,” he added.
The teenager also reflected on his interaction with Lionel Messi, revealing that he approached the Argentine star simply to thank him for his contribution to football.
“I went to Leo Messi and said: thank you,” Yamal said.
“I just thanked him a lot for everything he has done and how he’s the best. I’ve always believed he is the best,” he noted.
Yamal added that the moment was not planned for publicity and came naturally after seeing Messi.
“I always try to distance myself a little from things that seem beautiful for show. The moment came from within. I saw him there, so I went to thank him for what he did for football, it came spontaneously,” he said.
For Yamal, the comments underline a desire to preserve the enjoyment and spontaneity that drew him to football in the first place, rather than allowing statistics or attention surrounding the game to become his main focus.