Amidst the relentless storm, pouring down heavily at the Boris Paichadze Stadium in Tbilisi, Lamine Yamal made history. At just 16 years and 57 days old, still in high school and with his whole life ahead of him, he became the youngest-ever player to make their debut for Spain. That night, he broke a double record, as he also scored a stunning goal that marked the beginning of a new era. It was exactly a year ago—how fast things have moved since.

“It’s gone by really quickly, I’ve already played at a Euros and not long ago I was pulling on the shirt for my debut,” says Lamine Yamal, from base camp in Geneva, where Spain face Switzerland in the second matchday of the UEFA Nations League group stage. He seems astonishingly calm, detached, or at least that’s how he appears, from the pressures that come with top level football, because he enjoys his work and acts as if he’s playing in the street with his friends. He is a privileged player, touched by magic.

He wore the number 19 when he made his debut for the national team, and it was his close friend Nico Williams who helped him, making sure his first game was perfect. From there, a beautiful story has unfolded, filled with unforgettable moments, like his incredible goal against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. His unstoppable rise has earned him a nomination for the Ballon d’Or as the best young player of the season, and he even features in the category for the best player in the world, and for good reason.

His joy, that of a 17-year-old who earned his secondary school diploma in the midst of the Euros, is infectious in a dressing room that adores and protects him as one of their own. He, a different kind of footballer, repays that affection with his laid-back, carefree attitude, happy because nothing pleases him more than playing for Spain. “It’s special, at the end of the day it’s different, you’re playing for your country and everyone’s watching you. You feel very proud and always eager to play.”